Devyn Murphy: First Year at Hogwarts
by Nathan Lane-Beatles Luvr
Summary: Devyn Murphy was born a witch on October 20, 1979. Her parents were killed, and to protect her, she was taken to a Muggle orphanage. Almost the whole Wizarding World thinks she's dead, including her godfather, Remus Lupin. Before she can go to Hogwarts, Remus needs to be told the truth. Could Devyn have a chance at a real family with Remus? follows 1st movie
1. Chapter 1

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I AM MERELY A FAN. I AM MAKING NO PROFIT OFF THIS. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. **

**Chapter 1**

_**Devyn Murphy was dreaming. Of that she was sure. She had to be, because the man that was looking at her, she had never seen before. And although she hadn't ever seen him, he seemed familiar. He felt safe and...well, he felt like something she hadn't ever really known. He felt like family. **_

_**He had ocean blue eyes that were dashed with amber specks. He had light brown hair that was flecked ever so slightly with gray. But that was strange because he was only in his mid-twenties at the most. He was certainly very young but the look in his eyes told her that he had endured years of hardships. There were scars running across his face, and usually, they would have unnerved her a little, but the warm smile on his face kept her at ease. She wished that she knew his name, or remembered it. Because although she hadn't ever seen him in her life, he seemed so familiar, familiar enough that she should remember his name.**_

_**And then he spoke, one word only. One single word. "Devyn."**_

_**He said her name. And then one words came to her mind. "Moony." His name was Moony. She was 100% sure that was his name. Where that knowledge came from, she didn't know, but she knew it to be true.**_

_**She was about to ask him why he was there, when a loud noise interrupted her dream. It was someone calling her name. Loudly.  
**_

* * *

"Devyn! Devyn! DEVYN!" Someone was shouting in her ear. Her ice blue eyes flew open and looked at the person who dared to disturb her slumber. And what she saw made her no less aggravated. She wanted - needed - to find out who that man, Moony, really was. Why was he in her dream? Was he even real?

The person who rudely woke her up was none other than the bane of her existence (and she wasn't exaggerating here). Tessa Parsons.

Devyn lived in an all girl's orphanage and Tessa thought she ran the joint because she was the biggest and oldest. She was actually only 13. Devyn was the second oldest, having turned 11 last October, which had been October of 1990. She had been born on October 20th 1979. Tessa had been born in November of 1977.

However, there was no doubt that Tessa was the biggest. For some reason, Devyn had always been on the short side, but she figured that sooner or later she would hit a growth spurt. She would say that she knew this because her mother or father had been tall, but that would have been a lie. Devyn didn't remember her parents at all. Well, that wasn't the complete truth. Every once in a while, she would have dreams that included her parents, but there was never enough physical detail for her to make out whether she had her mother's or her father's eyes, for instance, or which of them she looked like more. When she asked the owner of the orphanage why she was there, Ms. Higgenbottom told her that her parents had died when she was only one and a half, the victims of some sort of explosion.

Then Higgenbottom added, quite nastily, "They were probably involved in bomb-making. They were probably no good criminals, just like you'll turn out to be."

Luckily, by that time, Devyn learned to ignore most of what Higgenbottom ever said. She wasn't a nice person and Devyn tuned her out most of the time. Fortunately, Higgenbottom didn't bother her much, because she mainly kept her head down and didn't start anything.

Well, except for the occasional fight with Tessa. Tessa, or Rhino, as Devyn nicknamed her, like to pick on Devyn because she was weird. And it was true; she was weird. Strange things happened around her for no reason. Like one time, when she was being charged at by Tessa for hitting her with a dodge ball, she tried to jump out of the way and ended up floating five feet in the air. She actually levitated.

She had been scared out of her mind, but she eventually floated back down. People generally avoided her after that, but Devyn didn't mind. She didn't like anyone in the orphanage anyway. But when Tessa bullied her, she certainly wasn't going to take it lying down. So, every now and then, she got into a tussle or two with Tessa.

And that ended both of them in Higgenbottom's office, where she would give them some sort of punishment like scrubbing the kitchen floors, or washing the dishes. It didn't sound too horrible, right? Well, generally, it wouldn't be, but Higgenbottom always put the two of them together. So it ended up being horrible.

And today was one of those times when she would love nothing more than to punch Tessa in the face. Tessa woke her up at _**SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING**_ just to tell her this: "Devyn, you have to get up now. We're going to the zoo in 6 hours."

When Devyn didn't answer (as she was trying to control her rage), Tessa started in on her. "You didn't _**forget**_did you? You did, didn't you? God, you are so stupid, Murphy! You're so useless. It's no wonder your parents didn't want you. They didn't want a child as stupid as you, so they dropped you here. God, are you even listening to m-"

Tessa didn't get to say anymore, because Devyn popped up and clocked her right in the nose. She could deal with most of Tessa's teasing, but when she said something against her parents, something like **THAT**, it was a whole new ball of fire.

Tessa hadn't been expecting it, so she fell to the ground and Devyn stood over her, fury practically radiating off her body. She bent down low, grabbed the front of Tessa's shirt and pulled. She looked her right in the eye and in a dangerously quiet voice, said, "Listen to me very carefully, Rhino. If you **ever** say **anything** about my parents **ever** again, life will become the tenth level of hell for you. Do you understand me? _**Don't you ever, EVER talk about my parents. EVER. **_You don't know me, or my parents. So keep your ungodly, lopsided trap _**shut**_ and stay away from me if you value your sanity."

Devyn didn't wait for Tessa to respond; she just stood up and stepped over to Tessa and walked away. Now that she was up, she wouldn't be able to get to sleep.

* * *

**6 hours later**

* * *

Devyn, Tessa, and the rest of the girls were sitting in a van, on their way to the Zoo. She kept silent, trying to ignore Tessa's taunts that were being whispered in her ear. She just thought about Moony and the mental image of him that she conjured calmed her down immediately. With Moony in mind, she was able to successfully ignore Rhino for the rest of the drive.

When they got to the Zoo, Devyn hopped out of the van as fast as possible. They were allowed to wander off in any direction that they pleased as long as they met back up at 4 at the lion exhibit. For some reason, as though an unseen force was pulling her, Devyn went off to the Reptile House.

She walked through the cool, dark buliding and stopped when she came across a large Boa Constrictor. Another family was looking at the snake as well. There was large man with a mustache, a tall, thin woman with a sour look on her face, a large boy, and (he caught her attention the most) a skinny black haired and green-eyed boy with round glasses that were taped at the bridge. It looked like the tape was the only thing keeping those glasses together.

He was wearing clothes that were far too big for him, and he looked rather unhappy. Devyn then noticed a thin scar on the boy's forehead. It was shaped like a lightning bolt.

The Boa Constrictor seemed to be sleeping and the large boy told his father, "Make it move."

His father obeyed and rapped on the glass of the cage. "Move!"

Clearly the boy thought this wasn't good enough, because he rapped on the glass a lot harder than his father had and shouted, "MOVE!"

The green-eyed boy turned to him and said, "He's asleep!"

"He's boring," the larger boy said and walked off with his parents. The green-eyed boy stayed and looked back at the snake. "Sorry about him," he said. "He doesn't understand what it's like. Lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in on you."

Devyn laughed and the green-eyed boy looked at her. He smiled and said, "H-Hi. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Devyn held out her hand and said, "I'm Devyn Murphy. Nice to meet ya, Harry."

The snake looked up and blinked at them. They both looked at the snake and Harry said, "Can you...hear us?"

The snake nodded and Harry looked at her. "Did you just see what I saw?"

"Yeah. It was weird."

Harry shrugged and told the snake, "It's just...I've never talked to a snake before. Do you...I mean, do you talk to people often?"

Devyn raised an eyebrow at the question as the snake shook its head. Harry shrugged at her. "Go on, you ask the questions, then!"

Devyn turned to the snake and said, "You're from Burma, aren't you? Was it nice there? Do ya miss your family?"

The snake looked at her almost sadly and turned its head to a sign. It read, "**Bred in ****Captivity**". Devyn sighed in sympathy. Harry said, "I see. That's me as well. I never knew my parents either."

"Yeah, me neither," Devyn said, without thinking.

Harry blinked at her and said, "You never knew your parents?"

Devyn shook her head, slightly pink at the fact that she just revealed she was an orphan to this boy. "No. They died when I was one and a half. I live in an orphanage."

"Ah. Mine are dead, too. I live with my Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and my cousin, Dudley."

Devyn wondered why she was telling this to a complete stranger, but she realized that Harry was an orphan, too. So, in some way, they were connected. Also, Devyn felt like she knew Harry from somewhere, but she couldn't have. They'd only just met. it didn't make any sense.

Suddenly, the large boy hurried back over to the now awake snake and pushed them out of the way, sending them to the floor.

"Mummy, dad, come here! You won't believe what this snake is doing!" Dudley, for who else could he be, placed his hands on the glass of the cage and practically climbed the bloody thing.

Both Harry and Devyn were glaring at Dudley, when suddenly, the glass just vanished into thin air. Dudley jerked forward and fell into the snake's enclosure. Devyn and Harry looked at each other in amazement as the snake slithered out of the cage and stopped in front of them. "Thanksss," the snake said.

"Anytime," Harry answered. Devyn was so shocked, she was speechless, so she just nodded at the snake. He slithered off and people started screaming. Devyn and Harry turned their attention back to Dudley, who was now trapped behind the now-reappeared glass. He started crying for his mother, who was walking by the enclosure.

"Mum, mummy!" Dudley cried. Petunia screamed when she saw him and Dudley said, "Mum, help! Help me!"

"My darling boy, how did you get in there?!" Petunia asked, practically in panic.

Harry started giggling at the scene, but Devyn was in shock. Did she or Harry trap Dudley behind the glass? She never meant to. Dudley could have been bitten by the snake. However, his mother's reaction was kind of funny. Dudley was in no immediate danger now that the snake was gone.

Petunia continued to scream at Dudley's predicament, but Harry's Uncle Vernon slowly turned to look at Harry and glared the two of them suspiciously. Harry stopped giggling immediately and Vernon grabbed him by the ear and pulled him into standing. Devyn stood up just as quickly.

"Hey, let him go! He didn't do anything!" Devyn protested at Vernon. He looked at her in surprise, as though he hadn't seen her, but then said, "Mind your own business, girl. As for you, boy..."

Vernon started threatening him and pulled him along as Petunia and the Zoo's Curator finally got Dudley out of the snake enclosure. Devyn was left standing alone as Harry managed to turn and look at Devyn. He waved miserably at her and Devyn said, "Bye, Harry," equally as sad.

She finally met someone who was like her and then he was snatched away from her, before she could even get to know him a little more.

Devyn only hoped that Harry would be okay. His "family" didn't seem to be too fond of him. She sighed and left the Reptile House as she wondered if she would ever see Harry again. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that she would be seeing him again, soon.

* * *

**So, what did you think? I had this story up before, but lost all inspiration for it. So I decided to rewrite it. I don't know if I'll be on a steady schedule for updating because I have my Ghostbusters fic, "The Flower and The Heart" in the works and school is starting soon. So, I'll try to have some sort of updating schedule, but I cannot guarantee anything.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I AM MERELY A FAN. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 2**

About four or five days later, Higgenbottom came into the room that she shared with some of the other girls, including, you guessed it, Tessa. Higgenbottom looked at her hatefully, a look which she returned full force, before saying, "You have a visitor, Murphy."

"Do I now?" Devyn said, her voice cool with indifference.

"Yes, you do, and don't you dare be impolite and make me look bad."

"Oh, please, you don't need my help for that. You do it perfectly all on your own."

"Why you little -!"

"Ms. Higgenbottom, would it be too much to ask to see Ms. Murphy now?" came a stern Scottish voice.

Higgenbottom instantly went from the monster from hell to the "polite" and "well-meaning" orphanage owner. "Of course, Professor."

_Professor, eh?_ _Professor of what, exactly?_ Devyn thought, putting aside the book she'd been reading. She'd already read it twenty times anyway.

"Murphy, this is Professor McGonagall. She's hear to talk to you about a schooling opportunity. Isn't that lovely?"

All the fake sweetness that Higgenbottom was speaking with made Devyn want to hurl. Instead, she simply nodded. A rather tall, stern looking woman came into the room. Her hair was drawn back tightly into a bun and she was wearing emerald green robes. Although she looked like she wasn't someone to be messed with, Devyn had a feeling that she was much nicer inside than she wanted people to know.

McGonagall nodded at Devyn and she returned it. McGonagall looked at Higgenbottom coolly and she said, "Well, I guess I'll leave you two to it."

"Thank you, Ms. Higgenbottom."

When Higgenbottom finally left the room, McGonagall immediately turned to Devyn and said, "Hello, Ms. Murphy. It's good to see you again. Of course, you won't remember me. It's been a long time."

Devyn blinked and stayed silent for a while. Then she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. How do you know me?"

"I knew your parents."

"My...my parents? You knew my parents? I thought you were here to talk to me about a schooling opportunity...?"

"I am, Ms. Murphy. Your parents, Victoria Sullivan and Michael Murphy, both attended the school that I am a professor at. You see, it's a special school for people with abilities."

"Like a school for the gifted?" Devyn asked, thinking of X-Men.

"Yes, something to that effect. You see, the school of my employment is called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Devyn was silent for a minute, quite shocked. "Witchcraft...and Wizardry? Magic?"

"Yes. I am aware that this will seem impossible to you. Perhaps, it will even seem like a joke, but it is very much the truth."

"And my parents - they attended this school. Which would have made them -"

"A witch and wizard, yes. And you are a witch, Ms. Murphy."

"Okay. I guess that sort of explains how that glass vanished from the snake's cage..."

"What?" McGonagall said sharply.

"Long story."

"I would very much like to hear it, Ms. Murphy."

"You can call me Devyn, Professor, if you want."

McGonagall seemed flustered for a second or two. "Well, Devyn. I would like to hear that story."

"Sure thing, Professor. Around five days ago, the orphanage took a trip to the Zoo. I went to the Reptile House and there was this Boa Constrictor. I wasn't the only one at the cage. There was this family there, too. The son got annoyed with the fact that the snake was sleeping and told his father to make it move. He told the snake to move, but that did nothing, so the boy yelled at it. Then the other boy, the son's cousin, told him that it was asleep. The son walked off and then the boy apologized to the snake. He said something funny and I laughed. We introduced ourselves to each other. His name was Harry and-"

"Hold on a moment. His name was Harry? Harry what?"

"Uh, Potter, I think, why?"

"Well, Devyn, there's many things that I should explain to you. Anyway, continue on with the story."

"Yes, Professor. The snake woke up and started moving around. Harry's cousin came back over to the snake enclosure and pushed us out of the way. Well, actually, he pushed us onto the floor. We were both glaring at him and then suddenly the glass just disappeared."

"You vanished the glass?"

"Well, I suppose. I sort of hoped it wasn't me; Harry's cousin fell into the tank and then the glass reappeared and he was trapped. I sort of hoped that it was Harry, but what are the odds that we both have magical abilities?"

McGonagall got this very odd look on her face and Devyn deduced what she was thinking immediately, "Harry's a wizard, isn't he?"

McGonagall looked surprised that Devyn figured it out so quickly but nevertheless, she nodded.

"Yes, he is."

"So there's a chance that it wasn't me that trapped his cousin in the snake tank?"

"Yes, there is, but it's impossible to tell for sure. However, like I said before, there are things that I should tell you."

"Like what, Professor?"

She smiled humorlessly and said, "I should tell you the truth about your parents' death."

"What do you mean? They died in a freak explosion, didn't they?"

McGonagall shook her head and a sad look became clear in her eyes. "No, Devyn, they didn't. That was the story that we, meaning myself and Professor Dumbledore, told Ms. Higgenbottom. We came up with that story to...to protect you."

"Protect me? From what, exactly?" Devyn was starting to agitated. First, this complete stranger comes here, claiming to have known her since she was born, telling her that she's a witch and then she tells her that her parents _didn't_ die the way that she had always been told?

"From the people - the monsters who murdered your parents."

Devyn grew very silent, all agitation gone the second that McGonagall said they were murdered.

"Who?" Devyn finally said, her voice quiet.

McGonagall didn't seem to understand her question, so Devyn rephrased it.

"Who murdered my parents? Who are they?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. I can tell you, however, that they are in prison. They were caught for your parents' murders and put into the Wizard prison, Azkaban."

"I don't mean to be rude, Professor, but I have a right to know who is to blame for me being an orphan."

McGonagall seemed to sympathize with her and the look on her face told Devyn that she really wanted to tell her what their names were.

"Please, Professor. Please, I need to know. I don't even remember them. Nothing. I deserve to know who is responsible for this," Devyn pleaded with the older woman.

She hesitated but then said, "Their names were Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange. They worked for a very evil person. I can only imagine that they killed your parents on his orders."

"And what was his name?"

"We don't speak it. Many people fear his name, instead opting to call him You-Know-Who, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me, Professor. I understand a lot more than you'd think."

"I can't...I can't say it."

"Can't or won't?" Devyn challenged her. McGonagall glared at Devyn, who said, "I'm sorry to challenge your authority, Professor, but I can't go into this world - your world, _my_ world - without knowing. If this person was as evil as you say, I would imagine that he left a rather large imprint on the world. I need to know."

"No, you can't go into our world without knowing. Alright, but I will not say it again, so please don't ask me to."

"Fair enough."

McGonagall nodded and said, "He went by the name Lord V-V-Voldemort." She stumbled a little on the name, shuddered, even, but managed to get it out.

"Voldemort?"

McGonagall glared at her for speaking the name but Devyn said, "I have no reason to fear this man, or his name. I will not ask you to say it again, but I will not allow myself to be bullied into fear by a man I have never met."

McGonagall looked a little proud of her when she said this. She nodded curtly and said, "I understand. You are most definitely your parents' daughter. They were exceptionally brave, too. And wise beyond their years...or at least your mother was."

"You knew them?"

"Quite well, yes."

"Could you...could you tell me anything about them?" Devyn asked, sounding hopeful for the first time.

McGonagall smiled, actually smiled, and said, "Certainly. I don't know much about your mother, aside from the fact that for her and your father , it was love at first sight. I do, however, know that she was very brave and very smart. Your father, Michael, was in my house at Hogwarts. I knew him very well, I like to think. There are four houses; I am the head of one of them, Gryffindor. The other three are called Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house takes students of different qualities."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Gryffindor students are exceptionally brave, like your father. Ravenclaw students are usually quite clever. Ravenclaw was your mother's house. Hufflepuffs are likely to be the most loyal people you'll ever meet. And Slytherin...well Slytherin students are generally sly and cunning. I am sorry to say that Slytherin house turns out more Dark wizards than any other house. Students are sorted by the Sorting Hat; it judges which qualities are most prominent in you and places you accordingly."

"I see," was all Devyn said. "Voldemort was in Slytherin, wasn't he? When he was at school?"

"Yes. Many years ago, yes, he was. Now, your father was very brave...but he was also quite the troublemaker. He had a group of friends that he often pulled pranks with. Usually they were on the Slytherin students. Gryffindor and Slytherin have been rivals for centuries now."

"What were their names?" Devyn asked, desperate for any information regarding her parents.

McGonagall smiled and said, "Well, there were four of them, not including your father. The leader, James Potter, was a Quidditch player. He was extremely smart, but extremely lazy. He was also a bit egotistical, although that calmed down as he got older."

"Potter? Harry's dad, I'll take it."

"Very good. Yes, James was Harry's father. Harry greatly resembles his father, except for his eyes. He has his mother's eyes. Her name was Lily Evans."

Devyn smiled at being right and then asked, "What's Quidditch?"

"It's the Wizarding World's most popular sport. James was a very talented player of the game. You'll learn all about it at Hogwarts."

Devyn nodded and McGonagall continued, "James's best friend and basically his brother, was Sirius Black. He also played Quidditch. Now, Sirius was quite the ladies' man. I know for a fact that he flirted with your mother more than once, but she had eyes only for your father. Sirius was also very smart, brilliant in fact, but just as lazy as James. Sirius, once Harry was born, was named his godfather."

McGonagall had a look in her eyes that was a cross between anger and sadness when she spoke of Sirius, but Devyn didn't ask why. She had a feeling that she'd learn why in time.

"Then there was Remus Lupin. He was easily the most academically inclined of the group. He took learning very seriously. Still does, I'm sure. Remus was, and still is, a kind, gentle, and loyal person. He suffered many hardships throughout his life, but was never bitter about them. He often said that everything he'd gone through only made him stronger."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Devyn said. McGonagall nodded and said, "And then there was Peter Pettigrew. I never understood why your father and his friends let Peter into their little group. He wasn't especially bright, nor was he very talented at anything. A part of me thought, and still thinks, that they felt sorry for him."

"What happened to all of them? I mean, I know James died. Harry's an orphan, which means Lily died, too. And my parents are dead. But what about Sirius, Remus, and Peter?"

"Sirius is in prison for murder," McGonagall said, that angry/sad look back in her eyes. "For Peter's murder, actually."

"Sirius murdered Peter? But I thought they were friends!"

"They were. Sirius came from a very powerful, very...Dark family. His parents were supporters of You-Know-Who, and his younger brother, Regulus, ended up working for You-Know-Who. He was a Death Eater."

"A Death Eater? That's what Voldemort's followers were called?"

"Yes," McGonagall said, shivering when Devyn said the name.

"Ah. And Sirius was one of them?"

"Yes. I never thought that he would go over to their side. He was always claiming that he wasn't anything like his family. I don't know why he did. He was in my house, Sirius was. They all were. But Sirius went bad, and murdered Peter. Destroyed him."

Devyn said nothing and let McGonagall continue. "So, Sirius was caught and thrown into prison. Peter was murdered not long after James and Lily, and your parents were only months before James and Lily."

"That's horrible. And Remus was left all alone?"

"Yes. I don't know exactly where Remus is right now, but I know where he lives, if I ever need to contact him. You know, they all nicknames for one another. Michael, your father, was Hoot."

"Hoot?" Devyn giggled. McGonagall smiled and said, "Yes."

"He must have really like owls," Devyn said.

"I suppose. James was Prongs, Sirius was Padfoot, Peter was Wormtail, and Remus was Moony."

_Did she just say Moony?_ Devyn thought.

"Wait, Moony?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I had a dream about this man. I didn't know his name, but one word came to my mind when he said my name. 'Moony'."

"Well, I don't wonder why Remus made an appearance."

"Why's that, then, Professor?"

"You were very close to him. As a baby, you adored Remus."

"I did?"

McGonagall nodded. "It frustrated Michael to no end because he had been trying to teach you to say 'Daddy' for weeks and when Remus walked in the room, you shouted, 'Moo'y!' You couldn't say Moony, but it was enough. Victoria found it hilarious, I recall. That, as far as I know, was your first word."

She smiled at the memory and Devyn wished she could remember it.

"I wonder why..." Devyn said.

"Well, I imagine because Remus is your godfather."

"Wait, if Remus is my godfather, why wouldn't I have gone with him after my parents were killed? Why was I brought here?"

"To protect you. Bellatrix and Antonin blew up your house. I saw your parents' bodies, so I know for a fact they never made it out. Luckily, you were with James and Lily that night."

"I was? Why?"

"You and Harry were practically inseparable. You might as well have been brother and sister."

"Well, that would explain why I felt so familiar around Harry, when we met at the Zoo."

McGonagall nodded, seemingly impressed that Devyn was able to deduce all of this by herself. "Yes. You were at James and Lily's that night. You are only 9 months older than him, so it is unsurprising that you were close. When we got word what had happened to your parents, Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and I retrieved you from the Potters' and brought you here. Believe me, I thought you would have been perfectly safe with Remus, but Professor Dumbledore told me to bring you here. So I did. We swore the Potters to secrecy, and no one else knew that you were there, besides myself and Dumbledore. It was one of the worst days of my life, having to leave you here. Michael and Victoria were murdered on May 22nd, 1981. Two days after you turned a year and half old. And then, a little over five months later, on Halloween night, James and Lily were murdered by You-Know-Who, leaving Harry an orphan. Luckily, and I don't know how he did it, but Harry somehow destroyed You-Know-Who when he tried to kill Harry, too."

Devyn was shocked that this Voldemort guy would stoop to murdering a child. But then, she really shouldn't be, she figured. If he was prone to killing people, why not a child, too?

"And he was brought to his aunt and uncle's house, to protect him, right?"

"Yes. Again, it was Dumbledore's idea. And again, I disagreed, but in the end, Dumbledore was right. It was where he needed to be."

"Yeah, well, his aunt and uncle aren't very nice to him."

"I feared that would happen. But I was powerless to stop Dumbledore. Once he has a plan in his head, no one is able to prove to him that he's wrong."

Devyn was slightly confused. "Wait, so if no one else besides the Potters, you, and Professor Dumbledore knew I wasn't killed in the attack, does that mean that -"

"That Remus doesn't know you're alive? Yes. He, along with the rest of the Wizarding World, thinks you're dead. They think that you've been dead for the last ten years."

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUN. Not really, that bit of info was in the description. Anyway, what did you think? Did you like that McGonagall was the one to tell her about her parents and Hogwarts and all that fun stuff? I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but I don't know when it will be. In the meantime, please leave a review. I'd like to know what you guys think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. **

**AN: The address that I used for the orphanage is a real road in Ash Vale, Surrey. If the number, 1020, is someone's address, I apologize for using it. It was incredibly hard trying to find a good place to put the orphanage, especially when one considers that Harry and Devyn visited the same zoo, which was supposed to be in Surrey.**

**Chapter 3**

Devyn stared at Professor McGonagall in shock. "T-The entire Wizarding World thinks I'm dead?"

"Well, those of them who knew you existed in the first place, anyway. And believe it or not, you and your parents became quite famous after they, and supposedly you, were murdered. Of course, many people knew your parents through the organization that Dumbledore started in order to fight You-Know-Who. Naturally, they knew you, too."

"They did?"

"Yes. And all of them adored you. They were...nothing short of devastated when they heard about you and your parents."

"Wow. I wish I could remember some of them."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll meet most of them during your time at Hogwarts. Given that you agree to attend, that is." Professor McGonagall pulled out an envelope from a pocket in her robes and handed it to Devyn. It was made of a heavy, thick paper and read in emerald green ink:

_**Ms. Devyn Murphy**_

_**West Dormitory**_

_**Higgenbottom's Home for Girls**_

_**1020 Northcote Road**_

_**Ash Vale**_

_**Surrey**_

Devyn looked at the envelope for a moment and looked back up at Professor McGonagall. "This is real? This isn't some joke that Higgenbottom came up with?"

"No, it isn't a joke, Devyn."

"No, it can't be. Higgenbottom doesn't have the imagination for this."

McGonagall stifled a smile and gestured for Devyn to open the letter. She did so and it read,

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**_

_**Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

_**Dear Ms. Murphy,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**_

_**Yours Sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

There was a second page to the letter, which was the list of things she would need. Some of the things that Devyn saw made her raise her eyebrows, like dragon hide gloves.

_Dragons? Seriously, dragons?_ Devyn thought.

When she was done reading, Devyn looked up at Professor McGonagall, smiling.

"I take it you are going to attend Hogwarts, Devyn?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I am! I can't believe this is happening! I can finally get out of this place and never come back!"

"Well, you may have to return for the summer," McGonagall told her.

"Oh. Well, couldn't we tell Remus about my being alive and since he's my godfather, I would go live with him instead? Please? I don't ever wanna come back here," Devyn pleaded. McGonagall must have seen the desperation to leave this place in her eyes because she sighed and said, "Let's see how Remus feels about everything."

"So, we can tell him the truth?"

"Yes, I'd imagine that we'll have to. Word travels fast and once some people are aware that you are alive, it will only be a matter of time until Remus finds out. Better than he find out from me, when I have you with me, perhaps one day after class, than from someone less...friendly towards him. Would you be agreeable to that?"

"Absolutely!"

McGonagall smiled and said, "Excellent. I knew once I told you about Remus, you'd want to see him and live with him instead of in this place. I told Dumbledore, but he never listens to me!"

Devyn smiled and said, "No one ever listens to me, either. Well, hey, at least we can be not listened to, together, Professor."

McGonagall smiled and said, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine, Devyn."

"That's good."

"I also think that you are going to be just as much trouble as your father and just as smart as your mother. Oh, dear Merlin, that's a dangerous combination."

And for the first time in a very long time, Devyn laughed. She really laughed. For the first time in a long time, she was happy. "Uh, what does it mean, 'we await your owl'?"

"Oh, that's how witches and wizards send letters. There are other forms of communication, of course, but owls are very smart and very useful. They know exactly where you want the letter to go. It's amazing, to be honest. I will need to send Dumbledore an owl, telling him that you have agreed to your acceptance. And then you and I will need to go get your school supplies."

"Oh? And where exactly will we get those?"

"Oh, in London. There's a place called Diagon Alley, and...oh, I'll explain it when we go get your things."

"Right. When will that be, Professor?"

"Sometime next week, I imagine. Don't worry, I'll contact you."

"Will that be by owl or...?"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow as she stood up and Devyn said, "Sorry, Professor. I'm just curious. This is all new to me."

McGonagall nodded and said, "Of course, I understand. Yes, it will be by owl. It'll come by night, so as not to alert anyone to our world. Oh, and Devyn, now that you know about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, you need to try to control your Accidental Magic. It's best if Muggles don't find out about us."

"Muggles?"

"Non-magic people. I look forward to seeing you next week, Devyn. And I look forward to being your teacher."

This, Devyn realized, was goodbye, for now. She stuck out her hand and McGonagall shook it. "It was wonderful to meet you - or rather, see you again - Professor. And thank you. Really, thank you, so much."

Professor McGonagall smiled one last time at the gratitude in Devyn's voice and in her eyes and said, "Goodbye, Devyn."

"Bye, Professor McGonagall."

The much taller woman left the room and once Devyn was sure she was gone, she started doing a happy dance.

"I'm getting out of here, I'm getting out of here!" she sang happily. Tessa walked in as she was dancing and snarled, "God, you're crazy, Murphy!"

"You know what, Rhino?" she shouted. Tessa raised her eyebrows and Devyn said, "You are absolutely right! And that's the best kind of person to be! Haha!"

And with that, Devyn left the room, happy dancing her way down the hall, still clutching her acceptance letter.


	4. Chapter 4

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. I AM MAKING NO PROFIT OFF OF THIS.**

**Chapter 4**

Almost a week had passed since Devyn and McGonagall met (today being July 3) and Devyn was eagerly awaiting the owl from Professor McGonagall that would let her know when they would be going shopping for her school supplies. Usually, she didn't care much for shopping, but this was different.

They would be shopping for things like a magic wand, and a cauldron, and all these different spell books. Over and over and over again, Devyn had read the list that had come with her acceptance letter. She kept expecting one day to wake up and find that all this - meeting McGonagall, discovering she was a witch, being accepted at Hogwarts - had been a dream.

But it never happened. Each day, she woke up and felt her letter underneath her pillow. She remembered talking to McGonagall. There was no way that this could have been fake.

It was now 12 AM, Devyn realized, looking at her watch. _I wonder when McGonagall's owl will - _

_**Tap, tap.**_

Devyn sat bolt upright in bed and looked over at the nearest window to her. There, perched on the windowsill and tapping on the glass, was a real live owl. Devyn quietly snuck over to the window and opened it for the beautiful bird. She could understand, if her father's nickname was Hoot, and if he liked owls a lot, why he did. They were incredibly beautiful animals.

He hopped in and held out his leg for Devyn. Tied to it, was McGonagall's letter. Devyn shook her head in amazement. She gently untied the letter and unrolled it. She read with a smile on her face as she pet the gorgeous creature sitting in front of her.

_**Dear Ms. Murphy,**_

_**I have reasoned that we should get your school supplies as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the busier Diagon Alley will be. I was thinking this Sunday, July 7th. If you are agreeable, send back the owl with your answer quickly. **_

Devyn looked at the dark brown owl in front of her. He was a good sized owl, Devyn decided, as he turned his luminescent yellow eyes in her direction. She stroked the bird's soft feathers and he made a sort of cooing noise.

"Do you like that, handsome?" Devyn whispered happily to the bird. He just cooed softly again. She continued reading McGonagall's letter, as she hadn't finished yet.

_**His name is Mercury. He'll know where to find me. I hope this letter finds out in good health and happy spirits.**_

_**Yours Sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall**_

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

Devyn smiled happily to herself. _That sounds perfect._

She turned to Mercury and said, "Wait here, Mercury. I need to find a pen and a piece of paper."

The bird did as he was told and waited patiently as Devyn scoured the room as quietly as possible for a writing utensil and some paper.

"Aha!" Devyn cheered softly when she found what she was looking for. She found her book that she had been reading the day she met McGonagall and used the hard surface as something to write on. She walked over to the window where the pale light of the full moon gave her enough visual help to write her letter.

_**Dear Professor McGonagall,**_

_**Thank you for the wishes of good health and happy spirits. I hope the same rings true for you. I am completely agreeable with your suggestion of Sunday. I must admit, when I saw Mercury, I was a little taken aback. After all, I've never seen an owl, never mind one that is delivering a letter. He's a very beautiful creature. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.**_

_**Sincerely, **_

_**Devyn Murphy**_

Devyn looked over her letter and nodded, having decided it was good. She took the string that had been holding McGonagall's letter to Mercury's leg and used it to bind her own letter. Mercury held out his leg to Devyn and she said, "Oh, thank you, Mercury."

She smiled at the bird as she gently but tightly tied the letter to his leg.

"Er...take this to Professor McGonagall, okay, Mercury?"

She pet him one last time and he cooed again, this time to let her know that he understood where this letter was being taken. Devyn opened the window for him and he took flight. Devyn watched him until she could no longer see him.

"Well, that's that. Might as well get to sleep."

* * *

Over the next four days, Devyn busied herself with thinking about what Diagon Alley would be like. What would it look like? Would she meet any people who had known her when she was a baby?

And then, like lightning, the day came. She got up, got dressed, and read her book until McGonagall showed up. Tessa came into the room and said, "Oi, Murphy, there's a lady downstairs, waiting for you. Told me to come get you."

"Professor McGonagall?"

"I don't know, Murphy. But, if she's a Professor, then they must be carting you off to the nuthouse."

"Haha, you're a comic genius, Rhino," Devyn said sarcastically. Tessa rolled her eyes and Devyn said, "And, anyway, in a little over a month, you may never see me again."

"Really?" Tessa looked a little happier at this thought.

"Yep. Professor McGonagall works at a school. I've been accepted there."

"Oh. Well, I truly mean this, when I say, good for you."

"Are you feeling all right, Rhino?"

"Fine, Murphy. It's just...I heard Higgenbottom tell you that your parents died. Up until then, I thought your parents just didn't want you, like mine didn't want me. At first I felt sorry for you. Some of us will always have the chance to seek out our parents if we ever wanted to. You don't have that chance."

"Parsons -"

"No, let me finish, Murphy. Then I became jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?"

"Yeah. Your parents didn't willingly give you up. You may not be able to ever find them, or get to know them, but they loved you. Mine didn't love me."

"Yes, they did. I'm guessing that your mother was probably a teenager who got mixed up in the wrong crowds and got pregnant. Your dad was probably a teenager too and ran for the hills. I think she was trying to give you the best chance for a better life that she could possibly give you. Maybe, one day, you should try to find her. It couldn't hurt, right?"

"How did you get so wise?"

"It's in my genes, Tessa."

"Right. Well, best of luck...Devyn," Tessa stuck out her hand hesitantly and Devyn deliberated the action for a moment and then shook Tessa's hand.

"I'm not leaving for good yet. Just going out to get school supplies."

"I know. But, we aren't little kids anymore. And if I'm not going to see you again after...?"

"Uh, September 1st, I think."

"Well, if I'm not going to see you after September 1st, I might as well say goodbye and good luck before I lose the courage to."

Devyn nodded and smiled, genuinely smiled, at Tessa. "Well, goodbye, then, Tessa."

And with that, Devyn walked out of the room and down the stairs where McGonagall was waiting. She was wearing dark blue robes this time, but her hair was still drawn tightly in a bun. She smiled when she saw the professor and said, "Hello, Professor."

"Good afternoon, Devyn. Are you ready?"

Although inside, she was running around screaming, 'HELL YES!', she remained quite calm on the outside. "Yep, I am."

"Good. Shall we?"

"Sure."

They walked out of the orphanage and McGonagall led her down the street.

"Uh, Professor, where exactly is Diagon Alley?"

"London."

"Ah. We're not going to walk there, are we?" Devyn asked, fully aware of how stupid her question sounded.

"Of course not -"

"Oh, good."

"-We're going to Apparate there," McGonagall finished.

"Huh?" Devyn said. "We're going to _what_?"

"We're going to Apparate," she repeated.

"Maybe I should rephrase my question. What does 'Apparate' mean?"

"Disappearing from one place and reappearing in another," McGonagall told her, her tone nonchalant, like she was discussing the weather.

"Wait, we're going to actually...teleport? Like on Star Trek?"

"Like on _what_?"

"Star Trek. You know, 'beam me up, Scotty'? "I'm a doctor, Jim, not a physicist'? No?"

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Never mind. It's a Muggle thing," Devyn laughed a little at McGonagall's confusion. "But, to Apparate, and I'm guessing the term would Apparition, basically means to teleport?"

"Yes, more or less," McGonagall looked at her, happy that she connected the dots.

"That is so cool!" Devyn said. McGonagall smiled at her and said, "Yes. I remember when I learned of Apparition, I too was quite excited. You will learn that in your Sixth year at Hogwarts. There are seven years all together."

Although Devyn was a little disappointed that it would be years before she would learn it, she was still excited to experience it.

"We will be using Side-Along Apparition in this case. It's plenty faster than using that contraption Muggles call the Underground."

Devyn laughed and nodded. "It probably will be."

They walked down an empty alleyway that was shadowed and out of the sight of Muggles. Devyn guessed it was important that they didn't see this.

"Do you know why we are going down this alley to Apparate?" McGonagall asked her.

"This feels like a pop quiz or something," Devyn joked. McGonagall looked at her, not amused.

"I should tell you, Devyn, I do not tolerate silliness or foolishness in my class. Outside of class, that's different, but as you are going to be my student, regardless of what House you're in, you should know what to expect. Now, please, answer my question."

"Sorry, Professor. We're going down this alleyway because we can't let the Muggles see us. Magic needs to be kept hidden from them."

"Very good," McGonagall said. Devyn smiled, proud of herself.

"Yes, this is a good spot, I should think," McGonagall said, stopping in the darkest part of the shadows. "Are you ready?"

Devyn nodded and McGonagall said, "Very well. Take my arm and hold on tightly. I don't want to end losing you somewhere along the way. I don't want you getting splinched."

"Splinched? What's that?" Devyn asked, getting a feeling that that wasn't so good.

"Means you leave a body part behind when you Apparate. Could be something small and insignificant, like an eyebrow or a fingernail or something, but it could also be something important, like an eye, or a leg, or an arm..."

McGonagall broke off, seeing Devyn's increasingly fearful look. "But don't worry. As long as you hold on tightly, that won't happen. I won't let it."

Devyn just nodded and attached herself to McGonagall's arm. "You're going to feel like you're being squeezed through a tube, but that feeling will only last a couple seconds."

"Okay," Devyn said, closing her eyes.

"Very well. One, two, three."

They spun on the spot and sure enough, Devyn felt like she was being squeezed through a very, very tight tube. And sure enough, it ended in a couple of seconds. Devyn opened her eyes when the feeling ended and was only slightly amazed to see that they had left the alleyway and now were on the doorstep of a place called The Leaky Cauldron.

"How...how did Muggles not see us appear?" Devyn said, weakly. She felt rather nauseous, but swallowed the feeling. It disappeared once she started breathing normally again.

"Muggles cannot see this place. They simply walk past it all the time. We apparated directly onto the doorstep so they wouldn't see us, either."

_So, basically a Wizarding World's version of a perception filter_, Devyn reasoned in her head.

"Oh. Interesting."

McGonagall nodded and said, "Quite. The entrance to Diagon Alley in through here. Stay close to me. You may not be as famous as Harry Potter, but I'm sure that some people will be quite surprised to see you."

"Oh, okay," Devyn said. She sort of felt sorry for Harry. It didn't seem like he knew about his magical abilities either, which probably meant that he didn't know what he had done as a baby. Which also meant that being famous would be completely new to him. She was glad she wouldn't have to deal with that kind of notoriety.

The pair entered The Leaky Cauldron and walked in fairly unnoticed until the barman said, "Minerva! Good to see you!"

"Hello, Tom," McGonagall greeted him.

"Helping a new student get her things, then, are you?"

"Yes."

"And your name is, love?" Tom asked Devyn. She looked up and said, "Oh, I'm Devyn Murphy."

"The name's Tom, nice to meet you, Dev-" Tom cut himself off, realizing what she had just said. "No, wait, that's impossible. Devyn Murphy, as in Victoria Sullivan and Michael Murphy's girl? You - she - Minerva, she died in the attack! How is she -?"

"Clearly, Tom, she isn't dead. And yes, she is Victoria and Michael's daughter."

Tom looked doubtful but then looked back at Devyn and studied her face for a moment. Just as Devyn was getting a bit creeped out, Tom said, "You're right, Minerva. She's got Michael's eyes."

"I do?" Devyn was shocked by this. She'd always wondered whose eyes she inherited. Now she knew.

"Oh, yeah, your old man had eyes just like you. Lightest blue I've ever seen, only rivaled by Dumbledore himself."

Devyn smiled and Tom nodded, "Oh, look at that! You've got your mum's smile."

At that, Devyn's smile only grew. "Did I hear right?" said a voice that Devyn had never heard before. "Devyn Murphy?"

Devyn turned to the source of this voice and came face to face with a short man in a top hat. He sounded rather nervous but started noticeably when Devyn turned to look at him.

"My dear, it _is_ you! Why, I haven't seen you since you were a baby!"

Devyn smiled and shook the man's hand, although she had no idea who this guy was.

"Oh, but that was such a long time ago! You wouldn't remember me! Dedalus Diggle, at your service, my dear!"

"Nice to meet you, Dedalus," Devyn said, smiling. Although he was a bit overexcited, he seemed nice enough.

"And, hello to you, Minerva!" Dedalus said. McGonagall smiled stiffly and said, "Yes, hello, Dedalus."

Dedalus didn't seem to notice her stiff tone because he carried on happily. Eventually McGonagall had had enough and said, "Yes, well, Dedalus, we need to be moving on. School supplies to get, you understand."

"Of course, of course! Until next we meet, my dear!" he said to Devyn. McGonagall led her outback, where she faced a brick wall.

"He was a bit odd, wasn't he?" Devyn asked McGonagall.

"He's always been like that, actually."

"Oh."

McGonagall started tapping some of the bricks in the wall with her wand. "That should do it...ah, yes, there we go!"

The bricks started moving around until they revealed a fantastic sight. Shops lined the streets, filled to bursting with wizarding equipment. And the streets themselves were filled with bustling witches and wizards, all trying to get their shopping done.

It was one of the most fabulous sights Devyn had ever seen.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Devyn," McGonagall said.


	5. Chapter 5

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 5**

Devyn was quite aware that while she looked around at Diagon Alley, her jaw dropped open. McGonagall watched her for a couple seconds, smiling. She placed a gentle hand on Devyn's shoulder and guided her down the street.

Devyn was only semi-aware that she was moving. She finally blinked and was able to speak again. "This...this is incredible. Where do we go first?"

"Gringotts, the Wizard Bank."

"Oh..." Devyn, for the first time, wondered how she was going to pay for this.

"Your parents left you money," McGonagall said, almost reading Devyn's mind. _Although_, Devyn thought, _after what I've seen so far, I wouldn't be surprised if she can read my mind._

"Oh, really?" Devyn said. That surprised her. She had no idea that her parents left her anything.

"Yes. They opened an account for you when you were born. It has been growing all these years."

"Wow."

Soon enough, they reached a massive white building that had, in equally as massive letter, **GRINGOTTS BANK** carved high above the ground on the building.

They entered and yet again, Devyn couldn't believe her eyes.

* * *

"Goblins. Those were real, live GOBLINS!" Devyn and McGonagall exited Gringotts, the former now clutching a cloth bag filled with her Wizard money. McGonagall told her how the Wizarding World's money system worked. Inside her bags were large gold coins called Galleons, silver pieces called Sickles, and little bronze things called Knuts; there were 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts in a Sickle. Seemed simple enough.

"Yes, those were Goblins. They can be devilishly tricky, but they usually stick to their own business, preferring not to take sides in Wizarding affairs. But they don't really like us."

Still reeling from the fact that she just came face to face with a REAL BLOODY GOBLIN, Devyn said, "They don't? Why not?"

"Oh, witches and wizards have denied them certain privileges for longer than time itself."

"Like what?"

"Well, the privilege of carrying a wand, for instance. They can do magic without a wand, of course, but they are insulted by this denial. They feel as though they are being excluded from a specific part of the magical world."

"Why not just let them have wands?"

"Many see Goblins as an inferior race, and therefore not worthy of carrying a wand."

"That's not right. No one is better than anyone else. We're all living creatures."

"Very true. And, in rebellion, they have kept secrets of their magic from us."

"Really? What kind of secrets?"

"Goblins are extremely talented at manipulating metal into things like swords and tiaras, among many other things."

"Oh. And they keep their secrets regarding that from us?"

"Yes."

"Well, that seems fair. An eye for an eye, you know?"

McGonagall nodded and said, "That's a good way to look at it. Not many people will agree with you, but there are some who understand your point of view. Remus is probably one of them."

Devyn smiled at the mention of her godfather. "I can't wait to meet him...or see him again."

"I'd imagine you are very excited. But remember, we'll have to see what happens this school year."

"I know, Professor. Okay, so, where do we go first?"

"Well, that's up to you. Where do you want to go first?"

"I really want to go get my wand, but I think that we should just go in order of the list. That way, I know I won't forget anything."

"That is very smart. You know, as much as I would love for you to be in Gryffindor, I won't be shocked if you end up in Ravenclaw. You're very logical and wise, exceptionally so, when considering your age."

Devyn tried very hard not to blush, but it was no use; she turned bright pink. She wasn't used to hearing compliments like that.

"Well, anyway, if we go in order, the first thing would be my robes."

"Very well. That would be Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. She's a wonderful seamstress."

Devyn nodded and McGonagall said, "If you wish, in order to make the best use of the time we have, while you are getting fitted for your robes, I could go pick up some of your other items, like your cauldron and glass phials."

"Really? You'd do that?" Devyn said, amazed that Professor McGonagall would do that for her.

"Certainly. As much as I love Diagon Alley, I thoroughly despise shopping and not making good use of time. There's no reason for me to hover around you while you get fitted. Madam Malkin will take perfectly good care of you." She took hold of Devyn's money bag and took the necessary amount for the cauldron and glass phials and then handed it back to her.

"All right. Thank you, Professor!" Devyn said. McGonagall nodded and said, "We will meet back here. Please wait for me here if I am not here when you are finished. I can't be losing you when you're under my watch. Dumbledore would have my head." She smiled briefly and then turned and went on her way.

Devyn looked behind her at the robes shop. She shrugged and went in. There was another boy already standing on a stool, being fitted for his robes. He had dark hair and, although Devyn could only see the back of him, he looked a little chubby. He wasn't completely overweight, just seemed to have a good amount of baby fat on him. There was a stern-looking, older witch talking to the boy.

"Now, you listen to me, Neville. Your father was an admirable student during his days. I expect the same from you. I don't want to get any letters from Hogwarts about you getting detention or getting mixed up in some silly mischief, you hear me?"

"Yes, Gran," the boy called Neville answered, a sad tone in his voice. _What does she mean, his father __**was**__? Was his father killed by Death Eaters, too?_ Devyn wondered.

Just then, a squat little witch came bustling out and noticed Devyn. _That must be Madam Malkin_.

"Oh, hello, dear! First year at Hogwarts, I presume?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, such a polite dear. Well, you just come on up here and stand right here on this stool. I'll start with you in just a moment."

Devyn nodded and walked forward. She stuffed her list in her pocket along with her money bag and stood on the stool. The boy next to her looked up at her and then when Devyn made eye-contact with him, he quickly looked away.

"Don't be rude, Neville," the older woman said as Madam Malkin fiddled with Neville's robe's arm. The older witch walked over to Devyn and held out her hand. Devyn took it as the older woman said, "I'm Augusta Longbottom. This is my grandson, Neville. He's going into his first year as well."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Devyn Murphy."

"Oh, Murphy, eh?" Augusta said.

Neville looked up at the sound of Devyn's voice and Augusta continued, "You'd be Michael Murphy's daughter, then? I thought you had died in the attack..."

Devyn nodded and said, "Well, here I am, alive."

"Clearly. Yes, I remember your parents well. Michael was friendly with my son and Victoria was close with my daughter-in-law."

"They were?"

"Yes. Actually, I believe you and Neville met when you were much, much younger."

"Have we, really?" Neville finally spoke.

"Oh, yes. You and Ms. Murphy here were quite good friends," she told Neville. Then she turned back to Devyn, "I was fond of you myself, Ms Murphy. Nice enough child. Very devastated when I heard about your parents and, supposedly, you."

_She doesn't sound like she was too devastated_, Devyn thought. But, instead she just smiled and Augusta said, "Yes, your parents and my son and daughter-in-law were very good friends. You see, my son and daughter-in-law were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters. I liked your parents, young lady. I hope you grow to be just like them."

Devyn wasn't sure what to say to that, so she simply said, "Well, time will tell."

Neville looked embarrassed that his grandmother revealed his parents' fate to who was, to him, a complete stranger. He looked at her in the eyes, daring her to say something about his parents, but at the same time, begging her to not tell a soul.

When Augusta looked away, Devyn smiled at Neville and mouthed, "I won't tell anyone."

Neville nodded to show he understood and smiled back at her. Then Devyn said, "What house do you hope to be in, Neville?"

"Oh, er, Gryffindor," Neville said, shyly. He seemed surprised that she spoke to him out loud. "W-what about you?"

"Well, my mother was in Ravenclaw, but my dad was in Gryffindor. Either one would be nice, I imagine, but I'm hoping for Gryffindor."

Just then Augusta said, sharply, "Who are you here with, Ms. Murphy? Surely not Remus? I don't imagine that he knows you're alive."

"No, he doesn't. I'm here with Professor McGonagall."

"Ah."

"Yes. Uh, listen, I would really appreciate it if you kept the knowledge that I'm alive to yourself. People will eventually find out, but I know that news travels fast and I want Remus to find out from me, not someone else."

"Of course not. Your secret is safe with me," Augusta said, almost offended that Devyn thought she might tell anyone.

"Well, that's you done, my dear boy," Madam Malkin said to Neville. He hopped down off the stool and as he and Augusta were getting ready to leave, Devyn turned and said, "It was nice meeting you both. I'll see you at school, I guess, Neville!"

Neville nodded and said, "Yeah. Bye, D-Devyn."

_Well, he might be shy, but that Neville boy is nice. And he's kinda cute,_ Devyn thought as Madam Malkin started fitting her for robes.


	6. Chapter 6

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. **

**Chapter 6**

After Devyn was done with her robes, she paid Madam Malkin for them and went outside to wait for McGonagall. Just under five minutes later, the professor showed up...not carrying anything.

At Devyn's look of confusion, McGonagall began to explain.

"I used a Shrinking Spell to make it easier to carry your things."

"Oh. Well, that explains it." Devyn asked, interested.

"Yes. Here, let me do the same to your robes. Makes everything less of a hassle."

"Okay. I'm all for hassle-free anything," Devyn said, handing her robes to McGonagall, who shrank them.

"Whoa. That was cool," Devyn said, marveling at the sudden change in the size of the robes.

"Quite. Shall we continue?"

"Sure."

* * *

They finally got everything done, except for one thing. Her wand. The two of them walked into Ollivander's Wand Shop and Devyn could feel the magic in the air. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

The shop seemed empty, but McGonagall simply called out, "Ollivander?"

Almost instantly, an ancient-looking old man with shockingly white hair appeared on a sliding ladder and looked down at them. His wide eyes were a pale silver, a color that Devyn had never seen the likes of before. He seemed harmless enough, but the way he stared at her as he descended the ladder was creeping her out.

McGonagall sensed her uneasiness and placed a hand on Devyn's shoulder. She said, "Devyn, this is Mr. Ollivander. He's a wand maker, the best there is."

He and his silvery eyes looked up at McGonagall sharply when she said Devyn's name and then back down at the young girl. "Ollivander, this is Devyn Murphy."

Ollivander didn't seem like the type who was easily surprised or shocked, but his eyes went wider than what seemed like humanly possible when McGonagall said Devyn's full name.

Devyn stretched out her hand, trying to be polite, and said, "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ollivander."

Ollivander, shocked though he was, took her hand and shook it. His grip was gentle, but surprisingly firm for a man of his age.

"My, my. Devyn Murphy. A girl long thought dead," Ollivander finally spoke. "I can't say I was expecting you, but nonetheless, you will need a wand."

For the first time, Ollivander and Devyn's eyes met and he said softly, "I wonder how is it you survived? Were you not in your parents' house?"

Devyn shook her head and said, "I was with the Potters that night."

"Ah. Of course, I heard tell of your closeness with the young Mr. Potter from Victoria and Lily. I remember the day your mother and father were here, buying their first wands, like it was yesterday."

Devyn said nothing as Ollivander started moving around his shop, grabbing a tape measure and then coming back over to Devyn.

"Which is your wand arm, my dear?"

Devyn blinked and said, "I'm right-handed. So, my right I guess."

Ollivander nodded and said, "Hold out your arm then." The old wand maker must have cast a charm on the tape measure because it started taking measurements all on its own. Ollivander started going around to different shelves and grabbing different boxes.

He eventually told the tape measure to stop and it dropped to the floor. He came over to Devyn with three long, rectangular boxes, which Devyn concluded must hold the wands.

"I remember your parents' wands perfectly. Your mother, Victoria - sweet girl - was chosen by a 12 inch Holly wand with a Unicorn Hair core, quite bendy. The wand was quite quick to chose her . Here, try this wand. Ebony and Phoenix Feather, 8 inches, bendy."

Devyn was unsure what exactly to do with the wand Ollivander just gave her, but she figured, well wave it around. That's what you do with a wand, right? She waved it upwards and the result wasn't so good; she ended up setting fire to a flower that Ollivander had in a vase.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Devyn exclaimed. She quickly put the wand down, not feeling right with it at all.

"Not to worry, not to worry. Flowers are easily replaced. Now, your father, Michael - smart boy, quite stubborn as well - was chosen by a 9 inch Hawthorn wand with a Dragon Heartstring core, supple. I found it odd at first that a Hawthorn wand chose him; Hawthorns are known for having what could be called a dual personality. Then, later on, it came out that Michael was a Parselmouth."

"Sorry, a what?"

"A Parselmouth. He could speak to snakes. Normally, it's considered a Dark quality to have, but Michael quickly proved that he was nowhere near Dark. Never once in his dreadfully short life did he ever show any signs of being a Dark wizard."

"My dad...could talk to snakes?"

"Hmm, yes. When I found out, it all made sense. That was why the Hawthorn wand chose him - here try this one," Ollivander handed her another wand, "Oak and Unicorn Hair, 12 inches, Pliant."

That wand didn't work for her either, but it felt slightly righter in her hand than the first one. She gave it back to Ollivander and he continued on speaking.

"As I was saying, that is why the Hawthorn wand chose your father. It could tell that Michael was a good man, but also possessed a trait that was generally considered Dark."

"Mr. Ollivander," Devyn said, as a thought just struck her. "Is Parselmouth a genetic trait? I mean to say, if someone is a Parselmouth, and they have children, will the Parselmouth trait be passed down to their children?"

"Yes, I believe it would. Which, my dear, would make you a Parselmouth, also."

_That's why the snake at the Zoo could understand me . But it could understand Harry, too. Is Harry a Parselmouth, too? I wonder..._

"Oh. Yes, I have talked to a snake before. At the Zoo. So, then, I was speaking Parselmouth?"

"Parseltongue is the language. Parselmouth is the term used to describe the person who can speak it."

"Oh, so, I was speaking Parseltongue then?"

"Most likely, yes. Here, how about this wand?"

Ollivander handed her a wand and the second that her fingers came in contact with it, she felt warm inside. She felt as though this wand was a body part that she had lost a long time ago and was just now getting it back. It felt like it was a part of her.

She had tried swishing the first wand upwards, the second one, downwards. Now that she had this wand, she wanted to try something different.

"Professor McGonagall, what's one of the most basic spells? Like, one that a First Year learns."

McGonagall looked surprised and asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"This is the one. I know it. I can feel it. I just want to try out an actual spell with it."

Ollivander looked rather impressed at her eagerness to do a real spell and not just wave it around willy nilly. McGonagall said, "Well, I suppose. How about, oh...how about Wingardium Leviosa?"

"Which is...?" Devyn prompted.

"A Levitation charm. You say 'Wingardium Leviosa' while doing this with your wand," McGonagall showed her what to do and Devyn said, "Well, let's try it!"

McGonagall looked at Ollivander, who said, "She's eager to learn. Let her. What harm could she possibly do?"

McGonagall shook her head at Ollivander and said, "Okay, but if she blows the place up, I am not being held responsible, Ollivander."

Ollivander just smiled and Devyn said, "Why don't I just try it on something small, like a pillow or something?"

Ollivander looked around and located what Devyn recognized as a Quill. He placed it on the countertop and Devyn aimed her wand at it.

"Here goes nothing. _Wingardium Leviosa_!" Devyn said the incantation and waved her wand the way McGonagall told her to, and lo and behold, the quill actually started to levitate.

"Whoa! I did it!" Devyn floated it for a couple seconds and then lowered it back down on the countertop. McGonagall looked pleased and Ollivander looked delighted that they found the right wand. Because this wand was absolutely the one.

"Well, well! It looks like Ms. Murphy has been chosen by the wand she now holds!"

"What do you mean, it chose me?" Devyn asked. He had been saying that for a while now. What did he mean?

"The wand chooses the witch or wizard, Ms. Murphy. It isn't always clear why. But this particular wand, this wand, is a 10 inch Elder wand with Unicorn Hair core...unyielding."

McGonagall looked awed and Devyn was very confused. "What...what does that mean?"

"Well, Elder wood is...very powerful. Dangerously powerful, even. You must be a remarkable witch for it to choose you. And Unicorn Hair is best for those with the purest intentions and it almost never used for those intending to use their wand for evil. And your wand is unyielding. This all means that your wand is extremely powerful and pure, and the unyielding attribute means that it will never work as well for any other than it does for you. Never. This wand chose you and will be loyal to you. Elder wands only ever choose those meant for great things. Treat it well."

"Wow..." Devyn now understood why McGonagall was so in awe. This wand, this powerful, magical creation, would only ever work for her. It was utterly loyal to her. By the sounds of it, Elder wands were drawn to powerful witches or wizards destined for great things.

_'I liked your parents, young lady. I hope you grow to be just like them.'_

Augusta Longbottom's words came rushing back into her mind. She was a little worried now. Her parents had clearly been great, admirable people. And now this wand, this wand made of a wood that chose only those who were powerful and most likely destined for great things, chose her.

Her, an eleven year old girl who, two weeks ago, hadn't even known that she was a witch. What great things could she **possibly**be destined for?

But then a little voice in the back of her mind said, _Stop it. You're being silly. Don't ever think that you have anything to prove. This wand chose you because it sees something in you that you haven't yet. You're only eleven. Give yourself more time to grow and learn before you start dismissing the idea that you could be great._

As Devyn held her new wand as she paid for it, she started believing that little voice in her head. She didn't know when, or where, or how, but something great was looming in her future. If she only knew exactly what that was. If she only knew that this was only the beginning of her journey. Only the beginning of her story.


	7. Chapter 7

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. **

**Chapter 7**

After Devyn got the last of her school supplies, including a trunk with her initials on it, McGonagall informed her that she would have to spend the rest of July at the orphanage.

Although Devyn knew this was coming, it didn't make her any happier about it. It frustrated her to no end that she would have to hide her wand and robes and things from everyone. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops that she was a witch and that she could do magic, but she couldn't, because it would, what was it McGonagall said?

Oh, right, it would "breach the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy". While Devyn did understand that, truly and completely, it still annoyed her.

But then, Devyn had thought about something. McGonagall had said "July", not "July and August". This had come to her attention just before McGonagall was about to leave Devyn's room at the orphanage.

"Professor McGonagall, wait!"

"Yes, Devyn?" she replied.

"You said, 'July'."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said that I would have to spend the rest of July at the orphanage. Not July and August, just…just July."

McGonagall looked at her and allowed a small smile to crack the surface of her otherwise stoic expression.

"I was hoping you'd figure that out."

Devyn was silent, waiting for McGonagall to continue. "I only said July, because you will not, if everything goes smoothly, be returning for August. Or any other month ever again."

"What?"

"Devyn…I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore and he quite agrees with me for once."

"He agrees with you on what?"

"Well, now that your survival is known in Diagon Alley, it will begin to spread. Sooner or later, it will get back to ears of people that once followed You-Know-Who. The whole reason that we brought you to this orphanage was to protect you from You-Know-Who and his followers. Of course, five months later, You-Know-Who was destroyed and most of his followers rounded up. But, now that the Wizarding World, or at least some of them, knows that you're alive, there is no reason for you to be in this orphanage anymore. Especially considering you are not entirely an orphan. You have a legal guardian. He just thinks that you're dead."

"Remus?"

"Yes. Remus, your godfather."

"Wait, does that mean that, after July is over, I can finally meet him?"

"Yes."

The happiness that consumed Devyn's heart nearly brought her to tears. She would finally have a family. Unless – "What if Remus doesn't want me?"

McGonagall placed a hand on the young girl's shoulders. "You didn't see how devastated he was when we told him you were dead. He'll want you. He'll never want to let you go ever again. I know Remus, Devyn. He might a little hesitant at first, for reasons I cannot tell you, but he'll most definitely want you, and love you as though you were his own."

Devyn looked up in hopefulness. "Really?"

"Yes."

"But why can't you tell me why he'd be hesitant?"

"Because it isn't my place to tell you. It's his. He deserves to tell you himself."

"Oh. Okay."

McGonagall nodded and said, "Well, now that that's settled, I will see you on July 31st."

"Is that when I'll meet Remus?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you then, Professor. Goodbye. And thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Devyn. Oh, I hope you realize that while at Hogwarts, I will have to address you as Ms. Murphy?"

Devyn nodded and said, "I know, Professor."

"Good. I shall see you at the end of July. I will bring Remus to you." McGonagall gave Devyn one last smile and then left.

"Okay," Devyn said, barely containing her excitement. But then a tiny little seed of doubt planted itself in her mind.

_What if McGonagall's wrong? What if he doesn't want me?_ Devyn thought. She shook her head and told herself that she wasn't doing herself any good by worrying about that. And so, as Devyn packed her school supplies away for safekeeping, she was torn between being sad about having to hide her abilities and being completely ecstatic at the fact that in less than a month, she may actually have a family for the first time in her waking memory.

* * *

**I know that this chapter was short. Sorry. But, on the bright side, next chapter is going to be very important for young Devyn. I think you can all guess why…**


	8. Chapter 8

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 8**

Today was the day. Today was July 31st. Today was the day that she would meet her godfather.

Devyn could barely control her excitement. The second that she woke up, her heart started thudding as she realized what day it was. If everything went well today, she could be leaving this place forever with a family, with the man that had be in her dreams, so close but still so frustratingly far away.

She wondered how he would be, seeing her again. Would he be angry that they had been separated from each other for so long? Would he be sad, considering she looked like her parents, and therefore would serve as a reminder of who he had lost thus far?

She had so many questions that she couldn't answer.

Little did she know that, a couple towns over, Remus was feeling the exact same way.

* * *

_**Two days ago**_

* * *

Remus was very confused. He had just received a Floo call from Minerva McGonagall, asking him to come to her office at Hogwarts immediately.

_Now, what on earth could this be about?_

He hadn't spoken to McGonagall in a few years. Ever since Harry Potter destroyed Voldemort, there was no reason to continue the Order of the Phoenix, and he lost every day contact with many of the members, like Mad-Eye Moody, Dedalus Diggle, and, eventually, Minerva McGonagall followed the rest.

So, needless to say, ever since Remus' life was torn to shreds, ever since he lost his best friends and his goddaughter all in the space of five months, he hadn't spoken to many of them. He became depressed after James and Lily broke the news to him that Victoria and Michael were dead, and his young goddaughter, Devyn, along with them.

His entire world shattered that day, but when James and Lily were betrayed by the traitor, Black, and murdered by Voldemort, and then Peter, innocent Peter, was blown to smithereens by Black, whatever shards of his life that he'd been trying to pick back up were crushed to dust.

He could have easily killed himself during that time, but he didn't. He didn't end his pain then, because on some level, he thought he didn't deserve to go that easily, but also because even though his family was gone, even though Devyn, the girl he loved like a daughter, was gone, Harry wasn't.

Harry was still alive and would one day re-enter the Wizarding World, and when he did, Remus wanted to be there to witness what the boy would become. He wanted, at the very least, a chance to know him. James and Lily would have wanted them to meet. Of that he was sure.

_Is that what McGonagall was calling me about? Harry? He is turning eleven today, so maybe somehow McGonagall got ahold of him and wants us to get to know each other._

As he realized that Harry was eleven today, another thought popped in his head. Devyn would be turning twelve in just about three months. **Twelve bloody years old.**

_Time sure does fly. Ten years. That's unbelievable. Ten years since I lost everything._

Regardless of his miserable thoughts, Remus grabbed some Floo powder and stepped into his fireplace. He then threw down the powder and said, loudly, "Minerva McGonagall's office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Sometimes it bugged him how specific the Floo Network required you to be. He dismissed this thought as the green flames encompassed him and he started spinning. Just as he was starting to feel queasy, the spinning stopped and he climbed out into Minerva's office, which he'd visited many times as a student.

"Hello Remus," the older witch said. "It's good to see you. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has, Professor. What is it, now? Four, five years?"

"Yes. And how many times have I asked you to call me Minerva?"

"Many times. Sorry, old habits die hard."

"Yes, I understand. Sometimes I have to remind myself to call Professor Dumbledore by his first name."

Despite himself, Remus smiled in amusement. Minerva hadn't been Dumbledore's student for decades. Since about 1954, when she graduated Hogwarts, and she took the Transfiguration Professor job in 1956, which meant that she'd been Dumbledore's co-worker for about 34 years.

McGonagall was, admittedly, glad to see Remus smiling. He did it far less often than he should.

"So, _Minerva_," Remus put an emphasis on her first name and smirked a little. "Why have you called me here?"

"Why do you think, Remus?" McGonagall asked him. She wondered if he had enough hope left in him to ask if it was somehow possible that Devyn was alive.

"I don't know. At first I wondered if maybe it was because of Harry. He's turning eleven today, you know."

"I know. But Hagrid has taken care of Harry. They're in Diagon Alley as we speak, I believe. Harry isn't the reason that I asked you here."

Remus smiled, thinking of the gentle half-giant. Hagrid had always been kind to him. Always been a good friend to him. But then Remus frowned in confusion.

"Well, Minerva, I'm at a complete loss then."

McGonagall sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Remus, you should probably sit down."

"Why?" Remus asked suspicious. "Has someone died? Wait...Black hasn't escaped, has he?"

"What?"

"No, it wouldn't be that. It would have been on the front page of the Daily Prophet if he had."

"No, this isn't about Sirius escaping Azkaban. That's impossible, although Sirius always was the master of the impossible. But that's not why I asked you to come here."

"Then, why?"

"Remus, please sit down," she said, a little more forcefully. Remus just did as she asked and settled into one of the seats she had in front of her desk. As odd as it sounded, he felt like a student again, being called into McGonagall's office for something that his friends did.

But this wasn't the seventies anymore, and he wasn't a kid anymore.

"Remus, what I'm about to tell you, will come as a shock, but I will ask you not to interrupt me."

"Very well," he replied. _What could this be about?_

"Remus, I trust you remember Devyn Murphy?"

"Devyn -? Of course I remember her. She was my goddaughter. She's always on my mind. I'm always wondering what she would be like now. She'd be turning twelve in a couple months, did you know that?"

"Yes, I know, Remus."

"I miss her so much. Every day. I miss all of them, but Devyn was...she was..."

"She was your goddaughter. I know. From the moment she was born, you two had a unbreakable connection."

"Yes, we did. Although I try not to talk about him much, Moony accepted her as part of his pack immediately. The moment we both laid eyes on her, he perceived her as his cub. Of course, he realized that he wasn't her father, but the paternal and protective feeling was still there."

McGonagall nodded in understanding as Remus blinked back tears, not looking at her. That was when McGonagall decided to break it to him.

"She's alive, Remus."

Remus' head snapped up quicker than she thought was humanly possible and he said, "_What_? What did you just say?"

"Devyn's alive."

"No, she isn't, Minerva," Remus said softly but still rather fiercely.

"Yes, she is. I've seen her -"

"Don't lie to me. You know as well as I do that she died in the explosion, along two of my closest friends!"

"No, she didn't," McGonagall said, trying to keep calm. She knew that this was going to take some convincing on her part.

"Yes, she did! I went to the funeral! I saw her coffin! I saw her buried with her parents! Don't tell me she survived when you know damn well that she didn't!"

"Remus! I've seen her, I have spoken to her. I've spent hours with her."

"Stop it, just STOP IT!"

"Remus, why won't you believe that she's alive? Why won't you believe that I'm telling you the truth?"

"BECAUSE I WANT HER TO BE! I want so badly for her to be alive! That's why she can't be! She can't be..."

Although McGonagall was startled when Remus shouted, she carefully made her way over to the weeping lycanthrope and put an arm around his shoulders. She'd known Remus since he was eleven years old and she'd only ever seen him cry twice before now. Once, when Victoria, Michael, and, he thought, Devyn died, and two, when James and Lily died.

Although Remus was a sensitive soul, it took a lot to break him to the point of crying. "She...s-she can't be alive, Minerva. She can't be."

"She is. Remus, she is. I know it seems impossible but it's true."

"How?" he asked desperately. He looked up at his former professor with tears in his blue eyes. "How can she possibly be alive?"

"She wasn't in the house that night. She was with the Potters."

"What?" he said, shock etched on his face.

"She wasn't with her parents that night, thank Merlin."

"No, I heard you. Why wouldn't James and Lily have told me?"

"We swore them to secrecy."

"And...?"

McGonagall knew what he was asking, and she knew he wouldn't like the answer. "And Dumbledore and I took Devyn into the Muggle world and -"

"YOU DID _**WHAT**_?"

"-and placed her in a Muggle orphanage."

"Why the bloody hell would you do that? I'm her legal guardian!"

"To protect her! So, yes, we lied and made the Potters promise not to say anything, but she was safe."

"She would've been safe with me!" Remus growled.

"We didn't know if Lestrange and Dolohov would go after her! That was the only way Dumbledore could think to protect her!"

"That's ridiculous! You should have told me before now! It's been ten years, Minerva! **TEN BLOODY YEARS!**"

"I know, Remus, I know. And I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. I really did, but you know Dumbledore."

"Yes, I do," Remus grumbled, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Remus, I understand that you're angry and you have every right to be, but please, listen to me. She remembers you."

"She...what?"

"She remembers you. Well, in a way."

"What do you mean?" he asked tiredly.

"She...she had a dream about you. She even remembered your nickname."

"That's what she called me. She always called me 'Moony'. That was her first word."

McGonagall nodded and Remus said, "You've really seen her?"

"Yes."

"All I want to know is, is she happy?"

McGonagall wasn't sure how to answer that. "She isn't miserable, but she'll be a lot happier when she sees you again."

"Sees me -?"

"Yes, Remus. She wants to see you again. She hates the orphanage and, well I'll be frank with you, Remus, she would love it very much to stay with you."

"She wants to stay with me?"

"You _are _her guardian, Remus, and she knows it."

"She actually wants me to be her guardian?"

"Yes. And it's possible, if you want to, that she even would want you to adopt her."

"Adopt her? But the Ministry would never let me do that!"

"Well, there is one tiny loophole in their adoption rule."

"What?"

"The law only covers adoptions made in the Wizarding World. You'd be adopting her from a _Muggle_ orphanage."

Slowly, a mischievous smile spread over Remus' face, taking years off and making him seem like the young student that McGonagall taught all those years ago.

"Don't you love it when they don't cover all the loopholes?" Remus said, his smile only growing.

McGonagall shrugged and nodded at the same time, leaving her answer ambiguous. The next thing that McGonagall said gave him more hope and light in his life than the last ten years ever had.

"Would you like to see your goddaughter again?"

* * *

_**Present Day - July 31st**_

* * *

Devyn sat, trying to keep her heart from beating right out of her chest. McGonagall had told her that she would bring Remus to the orphanage today. But she never said at what time. It was now 11 AM.

Just as Devyn was attempting to use the "breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth" technique, Higgenbottom burst into the room.

"You know I am getting really sick of this Professor woman showing up. Why can't she just take you already? Now she's here with some guy who claims to be your godfat- hey, don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!"

"Not now, Higgenbottom!" Devyn called, not walking so much as running as fast as her legs could take her. She booked it down the stairs and saw McGonagall first. Then she saw him and she stopped short on the last stair.

He was there. He was real. Moony was real. If Devyn didn't already know that he was coming, she would have thought she was dreaming. Tears immediately sprang into her eyes; seeing him for the first time since she was a baby was kind of overwhelming.

McGonagall turned and seeing her reaction, smiled happily. Remus side-stepped McGonagall and saw her.

"D-Devyn?" he said hesitantly.

She nodded and he walked forward and knelt down in front of her. He was much taller than her, after all.

He pushed a wayward strand of her short dark brown hair out of her eyes and said, "Devyn. Oh, my Devyn. I thought I lost you."

Devyn thought she lost the ability to speak upon seeing him but then she said, "It's you. It's really...you. Moony."

Remus smiled widely as his tears came spilling over and Devyn rushed into his arms. She hugged her godfather and for the first time that she could remember, felt him enclose her in his embrace.

Remus just held her, thanking any and all higher powers that she was alive. He tried hard to keep his tears from falling but he just couldn't do it. He had his cub back. He was happier in this one moment, hugging his long-thought-dead goddaughter, than he'd been in the last ten years.

He couldn't believe that she was here, and that she remembered him. It'd been so long. He knew this was real, but how many times had he dreamed something like this?

When Devyn took her head off his shoulder, she looked him in the eyes. "I can't believe it's really you," she said.

"**I** can't believe it's really **you**, Devyn. I thought you were -"

"Dead, I know. But I'm not! I'm here, I'm okay."

"You are," Remus said, wiping away the remainder of her tears. "And you're so beautiful."

Devyn graced him with a brilliant smile, reminding Remus so much of Victoria. "I thought, until Professor McGonagall told me the truth, that you were a figment of my imagination!" Devyn said, still smiling.

Remus cocked his head in confusion and asked, "Why?"

"Because the feeling I got whenever I dreamed about you...I always thought it was too good to be true."

"What do you mean?"

"The feeling I got about you was the same one whenever I had some sort of vague memory of my parents. Family."

Remus sighed and brought Devyn back into a hug. "Well, I'm here now. I'm here. And I'm not ever letting you go again."

"Huh?" Devyn said, not quite believing what she was hearing. They locked eyes again and Remus said, "If you want, and if you'll let me...I want to adopt you."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes. Very much so. What do you say?"

"What do I say? Moony, of course I want to be adopted by you! That's all I've thought about since I found out you were real and you were my guardian," Devyn said, sparing McGonagall a watery and not-quite-serious glare when she said 'guardian'.

Even McGonagall was tearing up at the sweet reunion between Remus and Devyn.

"Really, you do?" Remus looked so hopeful, like he wasn't sure what he just heard was the actual truth.

"Yes, I really, really do."

Remus smiled yet again and hugged Devyn tightly one last time before standing up and holding onto Devyn's hand. McGonagall watched them happily and the trio didn't even register that Higgenbottom was standing on the stairs, watching the reunion.

She wouldn't ever admit it, but even she was happy for the young girl. She may not be the nicest of people, but anytime one of her girls was adopted, she was happy for them.

"Well," Higgenbottom said, causing the three of them to look up at her. "I understand that you wish to adopt Devyn here."

"Yes, ma'am, I do," Remus replied, his voice full to bursting with joy.

"Well, I must say, Mr. -?"

"Lupin. Remus Lupin."

"Mr. Lupin, I have known Devyn all her life and I have never seen her that happy before. Come with me, you three. I'll get the adoption papers. Gotta say, this'll be a lot easier considering you're her legal guardian already."

And with that, Remus and Devyn, hand in hand, followed the owner of the orphanage, McGonagall following after them.

About two hours later, Remus and Devyn walked out of there, an official family. Devyn waved goodbye to the other orphans while holding onto her suitcase, which was filled with whatever clothes she had, which, admittedly, wasn't much, but enough. She had her wand in her pocket and Remus had shrunk the rest of her school supplies and put them in his jacket pockets.

McGonagall had served as the witness to the adoption and when the three of them left the orphanage and walked down the street into the alley, where they could Apparate, Devyn couldn't control herself anymore.

Before they Apparated to Remus' cottage, which had a guest bedroom which would become hers when they arrived there, Devyn set down her suitcase and jumped up in the air, pumping her fist and exclaimed, "WOOHOO! God, I am so happy right now."

Remus laughed heartily and said, "Your father did the same thing when Victoria said yes when he asked her to be his girlfriend. He came back to the common room and started jumping up and down, cheering just the way that you did."

"Really?" Devyn asked.

"Oh, yes. You're a lot like them, from what I can tell."

"Good. From what I've heard about them, mostly from Professor McGonagall, that's something to be proud of."

"It is. They were amazing people, Devyn. I'm sure I have some photos around somewhere of them. I'll show them to you, some day. Now, come on, Dev. Let's go home."

Devyn never thought this day would come, but it was finally here. She finally had the one thing that she never thought she would: an actual family and, Devyn added in her mind as they disappeared with a small popping noise, an actual home.


	9. Chapter 9

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 9**

August was certainly an interesting month for Devyn. It was the first month that she had lived with Remus and she couldn't be happier.

Remus was an incredible person, and everything that Devyn dreamed of and more. He was kind, patient, funny, and, really overprotective.

Not in a bad way, though. Sometimes his overprotective behavior was really funny. She loved Remus and she always would. And she understood completely why he was so protective. After thinking she was dead for ten years, it was only natural that he would want to shield her from any and all dangers that may come her way.

But, just like anyone else, Remus had his share of problems. A week after he adopted her, when Devyn was hanging a picture of her parents that he gave her on the wall of her bedroom, Remus knocked on the doorframe.

Devyn turned to look at him, and immediately saw the anxious look on his face. "What's up, Moony?"

She had taken to calling him that again, and Remus had no objections about it. He'd wondered briefly if she would start calling him 'Dad', but he dismissed that thought almost immediately after it presented itself. He wasn't sure that he wanted her calling him that. He was Devyn's adoptive father now, but he wasn't her biological father. Devyn had had a Dad and Remus certainly didn't want to take his place, and if she started calling him 'Dad', he'd most likely feel that way.

So, for right now, Moony was alright with him.

"I was wondering if you'd come out to the living room with me for a minute. There's something I need to tell you."

Devyn raised an eyebrow, but did as Remus asked. She was certain that she hadn't done anything wrong, so she probably wasn't in trouble. What, then, could this be about? She sat down on the couch next to Remus and he looked at her with a worried look in his eyes.

"I should have told you this the day I adopted you, Devyn, but I didn't want to burden you with this knowledge just yet."

"Knowledge of what, Moony?" She was starting to get worried herself.

Almost as if he didn't hear her, he continued, "You can't go off to Hogwarts without knowing. I'm sure sooner or later, you'll learn about what I'm about to tell you. And you're a very smart girl, you'd figure it out eventually."

"Figure _what_ out?"

"Devyn..." Remus looked like he was struggling to find the right words.

"Moony, whatever it is, just tell me. Don't worry about sugarcoating anything. Just tell me, like you would anyone else."

_**And that's the problem, isn't it, Remus?**_the spirit of the wolf inside Remus said to him. _**She isn't anyone else. She's the most important person in the world to you. And that's what makes it so difficult, right, Remy?**_

_Shut up,_ Remus said to the wolf forcefully. _Just shut up._

The wolf simply laughed. Remus took a deep breath and re-focused on his goddaughter. "Devyn, there's something you should know about me."

"Okay..."

"Have you ever heard the story _Little Red Riding Hood_?"

"Uh, yeah, little girl goes to deliver cookies or something to her sick grandmother, and they both end up getting eaten by the wolf."

Remus looked at Devyn strangely and said, "What fairy tales have you been reading?"

"The Grimm Brothers."

"Ah, well, that explains it. How did you get a hold of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales?"

"It's called a library, Moony. They have lots of books there."

Remus gave her a look that said, _Yeah, I know._

Devyn shrugged and Remus shook his head, "That's not the point. Er, you see, the wolf in the story could talk."

"Yes. He does. So?"

"I'm not explaining this very well, am I?"

"You're not explaining anything at all, Moony."

"Right. Blimey, this is tough. Okay, so basically, the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood was a werewolf, and...andthat'swhatIam."

Devyn was unable to catch the last bit of that sentence. "Sorry, what was that last bit?"

Remus took another deep breath and said, "That's what I am. I'm...Devyn, I'm a werewolf."

He expected her to scream and run for the hills like everyone else, or at the very least look horrified. What he didn't expect her to do was just blink and sit there, calm as anything.

She cast her eyes in a couple different directions, seemingly confused before she said, "That's...that's it?"

"Huh?" Remus said, now he was confused. Why wasn't she scared?

"That's what all that build-up was for? You're a werewolf?"

"Well, yes."

Devyn started laughing and Remus frowned. "Why are you laughing? It isn't funny."

Devyn controlled herself and said, "No. No, it's not funny. It's just...why didn't you just come out with it? What was with all the Little Red Riding Hood stuff?"

"I was trying to break it to you gently," Remus pouted. She wasn't taking this seriously at all. "Devyn, you don't understand. In the Wizarding World, werewolves are feared. We're hated and basically social outcasts."

"So? What, is that what you want from me? You want me to be terrified of you, and cast you out? For something like that?"

Remus was stumped. She was far more mature for her age that he'd anticipated. She was also taking this far better than he'd anticipated. "Well, no, but -"

"Alright then! What are you so confused about?"

"Well, this type of reaction isn't typical. Usually when I tell people, they run like hell the other way."

"I'm not going anywhere, Moony. I'm not running like hell anywhere."

"Don't swear," Remus admonished, although it was more of an automatic thing. Devyn huffed and muttered, "Hypocrite."

Remus playfully glared at her and she whistled innocently. But then she got serious again. "Look, Moony, if you want me to be scared of you, give up the dream now. It ain't gonna happen. I'm not scared of you, and I never will be scared of you. Especially not over something like this."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. I don't care that you're a werewolf. So what? So bloody what?"

"Didn't I tell you not to swear?" Remus said, yet again playfully. Devyn half-heartedly glared at him and he laughed. He put his arm around her and drew her in close. She rested her head against him and said, "So, do you...you know, change at the full moon, like all the legends say?"

"Yes."

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes. More than you can possibly imagine. Although, I'm used to it."

"Used to it? When were you...?"

"When I was five, my father insulted Fenrir Greyback, a particularly sadistic werewolf that enjoyed biting children. One night, when I was out in the backyard, looking up at the stars, Greyback came back and attacked me. He bit me and a month later, I transformed for the first time."

"That's horrible. Moony, I'm so sorry. So that's where you got your nickname from?"

"Yes. My friends called me that one day in second year and it stuck."

"And people shunned you? Because of that? Because of something that wasn't your fault?"

"Yes. It didn't matter to them whether or not I was bitten as a child, or if it was even my fault. All they saw was a monster."

"That's so stupid. It's one night a month. You're a regular person 353 days out of the year. Everyone's got their problems; it's just that yours comes in the form of a wolf."

Remus chuckled at her and she said, "Besides, wolves are cool."

This time Remus really actually laughed. He knew from that moment on that having Devyn around was going to be good for him.

"The next full moon is on August 25th. I can't risk having you around when I change. So, I've contacted Augusta Longbottom, who doesn't live too far away from here. She's willing to let you stay over at her house for a couple days."

"A couple days?" Devyn wasn't so sure she liked this plan.

"Yes. You see, the first two days after the full moon is when I'm at my weakest. It takes a lot out of me when I change. I'll need to rest for those days after the full moon. Don't worry. I'll be okay. I've been doing this for 26 years now. Besides, Augusta's grandson, Neville, lives with her. You'll have someone your age to hang out with."

Devyn could tell that Remus wasn't going to risk her being here under any circumstances, so she nodded. "Okay, Moony. Alright. And, hey, you're right. At least Neville will be there."

"Have you met?"

"When we were babies, yes, I think so. And again at Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley. Mrs. Longbottom was very quick to introduce us again. And to tell me exactly why Neville was with her and not his parents."

"Oh, so you know about Frank and Alice?" Remus said, not entirely surprised.

"Yeah. It's horrible what happened to them."

Remus nodded and said, "They were - are - very nice people. I'm not too shocked that Augusta told you like that. She's always been proud of the fact that Frank and Alice never gave up, even when they were being tortured."

"Oh."

"I don't suppose Neville was too thrilled that she blurted it out to you in the middle of the shop, though, eh?"

"No, he wasn't. He was sort of looking at me, like, 'I dare you to say something about them', but at the same time, begging me not to tell anyone."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him, albeit silently, that I wouldn't tell a soul as long as I lived. It's not my place to tell anyone. It's Neville's."

Remus nodded. "I'm proud of you, Devyn. Most children your age can't keep a secret to save their life."

Devyn smiled and said, "Yeah, well, like I said, it isn't my secret to tell."

"And I trust you won't say -"

"I won't say anything about your secret either. Cross my heart, pinky swear, whatever promise you wanna use; I'll say nothing."

Remus kissed her head as they sat there on the couch. About thirty seconds of silence later, Remus said, "What's say you and I go decorate your room, eh?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It'll be easy. Magic, remember?"

Devyn grinned and said, "All right. Now what colors to use...hey, Moony, what are the colors of Gryffindor House?"

* * *

_**August 25th - Day of the Full Moon**_

* * *

"Hello, Mrs. Longbottom, Neville!" Devyn called as they Apparated in front of the Longbottom residence. Neville and his grandmother had been waiting outside for them.

Neville sort of blushed when Devyn said his name but smiled at her when she and Remus walked up.

"Remus! Good to see you, again! And good day to you, Ms. Murphy," Mrs. Longbottom said. Devyn was carrying a backpack that Remus dug out of somewhere. He said that it belonged to him when he was at Hogwarts. There were a few holes and worn spots in it, but Remus patched it right up.

Devyn had asked if she could use it when she was at Hogwarts, too. Remus had been more than happy to say that she could. However, at the current time, she was carrying the clothes and things that she would need over the next couple of days.

"Hello, Augusta. How are you?"

"Fine, yourself?"

"Good. Better than I was a month ago, that's for sure."

Devyn knew better than to ask why. Remus had already told her that she was the cause of his newfound happiness.

"Good, that's good. Neville, come here," Mrs. Longbottom barked suddenly

Neville stepped forward and Augusta said, "Remus, you remember Neville, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Looks just like his parents. Hello, Neville. I'm Remus Lupin, Devyn's godfather."

"It's nice to meet you," Neville said shyly, shaking Remus' hand.

"Neville, why don't you take Devyn inside. I need to discuss something with Remus."

"Okay, Gran."

Devyn hugged Remus goodbye and said, "I love you, Moony. See you in a couple days."

"Love you, too, Dev," he replied.

Devyn and Neville then went inside, the former all smiles, and the latter still very shy. Remus hoped that Devyn could bring Neville out of his shell a little. He was sure if anyone could do it, she could.

Augusta turned to Remus, all business. "Now, I've told Neville that you have to go away on business for a couple of days. He inherited some of his father's curiosity, wouldn't you know. Of all the things he could inherit from Frank, it was his curiosity. Not his bravery, or talent. His curiosity."

"Don't worry, Augusta, I'm sure Neville will come into his own eventually. Alice was very shy at first, too. Barely talked to anyone and then one day, boom, she was Miss Social Butterfly. I think it was Frank that made the difference in her. Just give him time."

Augusta sniffed and said, "Perhaps you're right. I am hard on him, but I was the same way with Frank. He turned out fine."

"Yes, but keep in mind, Neville isn't Frank. He's most definitely Frank's son, but he isn't Frank."

Augusta said nothing and Remus said, "Anyway, thank you for telling Neville what you did. I don't want any more people than necessary to know. During the school year it'll be different, but during the summer, at least until Devyn's older..."

"If she's anything like her mother, she'll always be welcome here," Augusta told him. "Now, go on. Go get prepared. Devyn'll be perfectly safe here."

Remus nodded and bid Augusta farewell. Before he Disapparated, he turned around and looked at one of the windows. Devyn was standing there, waving and smiling. She mouthed, "Love you," to him and then disappeared from the window.

Remus had been a little nervous leaving her with Augusta, but now his worries were eased. She would be fine. He did wonder though...Devyn was getting to the age where she might start thinking about boys, and Neville was a sweet kid...

_I really don't want to have "The Talk" with Devyn anytime soon_, Remus thought, groaning internally.

_**Ah, calm down, Remy. She's eleven. She isn't going to be doing THAT for four years at least! **_his inner wolf replied

_Four years?! No, no, no, she isn't allowed to do anything with boys until she is eighteen._

_**Right. That's gonna happen.**_

Remus could almost see his inner wolf rolling his eyes at him.

_It is. She won't be doing anything with boys while I'm around_, Remus told him stubbornly.

_**And what happens when you're not around, eh, genius? What about when she's at Hogwarts, hm?**_

_...Shut up._

_**OH YEAH, score one for Moony, zip for Remus! **_

_That's mature. Really mature._

_**Hey, I'm you, Remus. So that makes you just as mature as me.**_

_I am nothing like you._

_**Sure you are. I'm you without any inhibitions or what's that thing you humans have...**_

_A conscience?_

_**Yeah, that! A conscience. That and no inhibitions are the only things that make us any different from each other. But, if it makes you feel any better, you and I are only one in the same one night out of the month. Other than that one night, we're like two different people in the same body.**_

_Well, I guess. But, I'm still nothing like you._

_**Whatever you say, Remy. And anyway, you aren't the only one who doesn't wanna see his cub running around with some boy, okay? I love her, too.**_

_I know. I know._

_**Okay, so whaddaya say we just go get prepared for tonight. I swear I won't do anything stupid. We'll just run around the woods, okay?**_

_You swear?_

_**Yeah, I do.**_

_...I still don't trust you, you know._

_**Wouldn't have it any other way, Remy.**_

Remus blinked and said, "I really have to stop having thought conversations with myself - him - whatever. I gotta stop that."

_**I heard that.**_

Remus shook his head and went on his way.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Are you guys happy that Devyn is finally with Remus? Please leave a review and tell me what you liked/disliked. The next chapter will be up soon, hopefully.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 10**

By the time that Devyn's stay at the Longbottom's was over, she and Neville had become like best friends. Augusta was shocked but happy when Devyn actually brought Neville out of his shell. He was still shy, but not around Devyn. Not anymore.

As she watched them get closer over the days that Devyn was with them, she started wondering, when they got older, if Neville and Devyn would end up together, romantically. She wasn't ready to think about her grandson dating anyone, but she found that she wouldn't be so worried about him getting hurt by some girl, if the girl he was with was Devyn.

But they were too young for that.

Augusta might have been stern and sometimes expected too much from people, namely, her grandson, but Devyn lived up to every expectation that the older witch had thought up. She was polite, well-behaved, and an absolute joy to have around.

She and Neville got along like they were best friends, and like they always had been. Devyn even liked Trevor, Neville's troublesome toad. Augusta thought it was good for her grandson. Thought _she_ was good for her grandson.

* * *

"Moony!"

Remus barely had time to acknowledge his name being called before his side was latched onto by his goddaughter. Remus grunted and stumbled a little. He was still slightly weakened from the full moon, but he wouldn't let that get in the way of hugging his goddaughter.

"Hey, kiddo. I missed you," Remus said, hugging Devyn.

"I missed you, too."

"Were you good for Mrs. Longbottom?"

Devyn nodded and Augusta walked in the room with Neville. "She was a perfect angel. Not that I expected any less of her."

Devyn smiled at Augusta, who returned the expression, albeit in her own stern way. Neville was smiling, but looked a little sad that Devyn was leaving.

"Well, that's good to hear," Remus said. "Thank you so much for watching her Augusta."

"It was my pleasure, Remus. She's welcome here anytime she wants."

"Thanks, Mrs. Longbottom," Devyn said.

Devyn then noticed that Neville was looking a little down. "Hey, Nev, cheer up. It's only five days until September 1st. We'll probably see each other on the Hogwarts Express! And at Hogwarts! Speaking of which, I should probably locate my train ticket...hmm, wonder where that got to."

"But, Dev, what if we're not in the same House? People from different houses rarely hang out with one another! I don't know anyone else!"

"Neville...do you really think I would let something as silly as what House I'm in get in the way of hanging out with you? Huh, do ya?"

Remus smiled at the two children when Neville shuffled his foot and admitted, "...No."

"Alright then. Don't worry."

"Kay," Neville agreed. "See you on Saturday, Devyn."

"See ya."

They were about to leave but then Devyn said, "Oh, Moony, wait!"

Moony nodded and Devyn ran back to hug her new friend. Neville went bright pink when Devyn hugged him, but he returned the embrace anyway. Remus laughed at the two of them and ruffled Devyn's short hair when she got back.

"Moony!" she complained. Her indignation only served to make him laugh even more, something which annoyed Devyn only slightly.

"Alright, kiddo, come on. Let's go home."

Devyn nodded and waved one last time at Neville before Side-Along Disapparating with Remus.

"Gran?" Neville said, after Devyn and Remus left.

"Yes, Neville?"

"I like her. I like her a lot."

"So do I, Neville. She's a nice girl."

Neville nodded and the two of them walked inside. Neville went into his room and Augusta went into the kitchen. Not thirty seconds later, she heard, "No, Trevor! Come back, Trevor!"

Augusta groaned and muttered, "Not again. I need to find a leash for that toad."

* * *

_**Five Days Later - September 1st**_

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up! Moony, WAKE UP!"

Remus' sleep was interrupted when he felt someone shaking him and shouting at him. As he rubbed his eyes, he said, "Devyn, what - what are you doing?" He checked the clock and sighed. "Devyn, it's too early in the morning, go back to bed."

"I can't, Remus! Don't you know what day it is?"

He looked at her groggily and thought as hard as his still half-asleep mind would allow. "...Saturday?"

Devyn looked at him like he sprouted a second head. It was the same look that Michael sometimes gave James or...the traitor when they said something stupid. "It's not just any Saturday, Moony!"

"Well, what Saturday is it, then?"

"Duh - it's September 1st! It's the day I go to Hogwarts! Come on, get up! We need to finish packing!"

That got Remus up immediately. "You haven't finished packing?"

"Well, you put my cauldron and stuff where I can't reach it and I only did _Wingardium Leviosa _once before!"

"Okay. Okay, I'm up. Let's go."

"Finally!" Devyn said, leading him out of his room by the hand. He shook his head to wake himself up and then got Devyn's cauldron and other items down off the highest shelf he could reach. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, it's just he didn't want anything to happen to it. He shrunk it himself and put it in her trunk before going to take a shower.

"Thanks, Moony!" Devyn called.

"No p-p-problem, sweetie," Remus said through a large yawn. Devyn giggled as Remus went off. She looked around her room, which was now Gryffindor gold and Ravenclaw blue, to represent her parents, as her mother had been in Ravenclaw and her father had been in Gryffindor. There were stars and a crescent moon painted on her ceiling and Remus enchanted it so that the stars would occasionally flicker.

She had originally wanted a full moon painted on her ceiling but Remus refused point-blank. She hadn't meant to upset him with the full moon thing, she had just wanted something to represent Remus. And that was the only thing that she could think of. And she told him as much.

She gave him the puppy eyes for about five seconds before he had relented and said that if she wanted something to represent him, he would get her a wolf stuffie that she could put on her bed.

She had agreed right away and Remus said, "You know, it isn't fair that you used the puppy dog eyes. That's totally cheating."

She had told him, "Eh, maybe, but it worked! So HAH!"

That had been a funny day.

Focusing back on the present and her packing, Devyn started throwing her clothes in randomly, making sure to check and double check that she had all her supplies. By the time that Remus got out, her trunk was in the living room and Devyn was waiting for him to get out.

Remus barely had time to marvel at her speed before Devyn rushed past him to get in the shower.

"How did she -? I was only in there for 15 minutes!" he asked himself. He wondered if her room looked like a tornado went through it. He poked his head in her room but was surprised to see that it was spotless. Her bed was made and everything was picked up off the floor. Remus shrugged; maybe she was just really fast.

20 minutes later, Devyn got out of the shower, smelling like roses, literally and rushed into her room to get dressed. Barely two minutes later, she came out in light blue jeans, a T-shirt and her converse sneakers.

As Devyn was eating her breakfast, Remus said, "Devyn, shouldn't you be wearing your school robes?" Again she looked at him like he had sprouted another head, or an extra limb.

"Moony, we're going to King's Cross Station. Which is in Muggle London. If I go prancing about in my school robes, they will think I'm nuts. And normally I wouldn't care, but I don't want to reveal everything about the Wizarding World to the Muggles before I even get to Hogwarts!"

"Okay, then. Relax. We still have," he checked his watch, "two and half hours before the Hogwarts Express leaves. Do you have your ticket?"

Devyn nodded through a mouthful of cereal. "Yes," she said, once she swallowed.

"Where is it?"

Devyn tapped her pocket. "It's right here."

"Okay."

Remus couldn't believe that Devyn was going to Hogwarts already. It felt like only yesterday that he held her as a newborn baby. And now she was eleven, going on twelve, headed to Hogwarts.

The hardest part of all this was that he wouldn't see her until Christmas, and maybe not even that, if she decided to stay there over the holidays. He just got her back and now he wouldn't see her for 4 months and then after that, he wouldn't see her until June, when the school year ended.

Devyn must have noticed Remus was thinking because she said, "Hey, Moony, what's wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing, Devyn. Nothing's wrong. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"You. And the fact that I won't see you until Christmas, unless you're planning to spend it at Hogwarts. I mean, if you wanted to, I would understand completely. Christmas at Hogwarts is amazing."

"I don't know. We'll just have to see when the time comes, won't we?"

Remus nodded and said, "Yes, we will."

"So what else are you thinking about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Moony, don't play dumb with me. I know that's not all you're thinking about."

"How do you know that?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. Devyn did the same as she ate a spoonful of her cereal.

"It's a girl thing. We know, Moony. We just know," she said, her voice filled with fake mysticism. Remus laughed at her silliness and Devyn said, "No, but seriously, what _are_ you thinking about?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really. Just…this is going to sound so silly."

"No, it won't."

"It's just; I remember holding you less than five minutes after you were born. That's when I was named your godfather. That moment feels like it happened only yesterday. And now, here you are, ten years later, all ready to go to Hogwarts. I know I only adopted you a month ago, but I'm not ready to let you go just yet."

Devyn smiled and said, "See, that's not silly. That's sweet. But, Moony, you aren't letting me go. You're not losing me. I'm just going to school. And I'll see you at Christmas, or if not then, I'll see you in June. And I'll write you. I'm sure the school has owls that I can use."

"They do."

"Alright then. I'll be back before you know it. I'm not even on the train yet!"

Remus nodded and finished eating his own breakfast

* * *

_**10:40 AM, King's Cross Station**_

* * *

Remus and Devyn were walking swiftly, trying to get to the area between Platform 9 and 10.

"Remus Lupin! Is that you?"

They turned around to see a short, plump red-haired woman walking towards them with a bunch of equally as red-haired children behind her. There were four boys and one girl. The girl was easily the youngest; she couldn't be much more than 9 or 10 years old at the most.

"Molly! How good to see you!" Remus said, a friendly smile on his face. Remus looked down at Devyn and said, "Devyn, this is Molly Weasley. Molly, I don't know if you remember my goddaughter, Devyn Murphy."

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked when Remus said her name, but Devyn was kind of getting used to this type of reaction. "But, Remus, I thought that Devyn was, well, no longer with us."

"I did too, up until a month ago," Remus explained. Molly nodded in understanding as Remus said, "Turns out, she was with the Potters that night."

Both Molly and Remus looked sad when he mentioned the Potters.

"You know Harry Potter?" the girl said, almost as shy as Neville. Devyn realized she was speaking to her and said, "Er…well, sort of. We knew each other when we were babies. But I did just meet him again recently."

"Did you, really?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Remus looked confused.

"You never told me you saw Harry," her godfather said.

"I didn't? Oh, well, now you know. Yeah, I saw him at the Zoo."

"Oh."

Molly looked Devyn up and down and said, "I must say, dear, you certainly know how to blend in."

"Blend in..? Oh! You mean with the Muggles. Well, I grew up in a Muggle orphanage, so…"

"Well, that explains it. My husband would have a field day with you. He loves Muggles. By the way, Devyn, these are my children." she replied, cheerily. "This is Percy," the oldest boy with a badge pinned to his robes smiled curtly at her. "He's in his fifth year, Gryffindor, of course. He's just been made a prefect."

Remus smiled and said, "Congratulations, Percy. I was prefect for Gryffindor in my year, too."

Percy smiled at having something in common with the older man and Molly said, "These are my twins, Fred and George. They're in their third year, also Gryffindor."

_Seems like a whole family of Gryffindors,_ Devyn thought.

"Hi, Devyn," the identical boys said in unison.

"This is Ron. He's going into his first year, like you, dear."

Ron smiled at her, glad to see another first year like himself. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," Devyn replied.

"And this is Ginny, my youngest. She'll be going to Hogwarts next year."

Ginny smiled at Devyn, who grinned right back. "It's really nice to meet all of you."

"So, Devyn what house," Fred began.

"Do you hope to be in?" George finished.

"Gryffindor…or Ravenclaw. But Gryffindor is what I'm hoping for."

"Excellent," they both said. Molly then turned to Remus and said, "You know, it's the same every year, packed with Muggles. Come on, Platform 9 ¾ this way!"

Remus and Devyn shrugged and followed the Weasley family. When they stopped, Mrs. Weasley said, "All right, Percy, you first."

Percy nodded and ran forward, straight at the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10. If Devyn blinked, she'd have missed it; Percy disappeared right before he came in contact with the barrier, as though there was some unseen door right in front of the stone column…which there probably was. Had Remus not explained this to Devyn, she would have been very confused.

"Fred, you next," Mrs. Weasley said. Fred and George must have decided to play a trick on their mother because George said, "He's not Fred; I am!"

"Honestly, woman, and you call yourself our mother," Fred said.

"Sorry, George," Mrs. Weasley said, falling for it. She waved the boy forward and before he and his twin ran forward, Fred said, "I'm only joking, I am Fred."

"Excuse me!"

Devyn turned around and was pleased to see none other than Harry Potter walking towards them. He looked nervous and confused. He smiled when he saw her and said, "Hi, Devyn, it's good to see you again."

Remus was stunned. This could be no one else but Harry Potter. The similarity between him and James was striking. Except for the eyes; he had Lily's eyes.

"Good to see you, too, Harry."

Harry looked at Remus and said to Devyn, "I thought you said that you lived in an orphanage?"

"I did. This is my godfather, Remus Lupin. He adopted me at the end of July."

"You adopted her?" Mrs. Weasley said, smiling.

Remus nodded and Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, that's wonderful!"

"Oh, I see," Harry said. "It's, er, nice to meet you, Mr. Lupin."

Harry and Remus shook hands and Remus said, "I haven't seen you since you were a baby. I was a friend of your father's, Harry. It's very good to see you again."

Devyn looked between her godfather and Harry, smiling like a goober.

"Oh," Harry's expression brightened considerably. He then turned to Mrs. Weasley and said, "Could you tell me how to…?"

"How to get onto the platform?" Mrs. Weasley finished for him. Harry nodded and said, "Yes, not to worry, dear, it's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well."

"Devyn's too," Remus added, looking proud. Harry and Ron smiled at each other.

"Now," Mrs. Weasley said. "All you've got to do, is walk straight at the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."

"Good luck," Ginny said.

Harry took a deep breath and Devyn patted him on the shoulder. He started pushing his cart and running. Soon, he disappeared into the barrier, too, and it was only Ron and Devyn left.

"You can go, if you want," Ron said to Devyn. She smiled and said, "Oh, really? Thanks."

Mrs. Weasley beamed at her son and then at Devyn. Devyn turned to Remus and said, "I'll miss you, Moony."

Remus hugged Devyn tightly and said, "I'll miss you, too. Now, promise me that you'll behave. Don't get into any duels, or anything. And please, mind your professors."

"I will, Moony, I promise."

"Okay. Write me after you get your bearings at Hogwarts. I want to hear all about your first week, even if it's a letter as tall as you are."

Devyn laughed and said, "Okay."

"Alright. One more thing before you go off."

"Yes?"

"Remember, I love you."

"I love you, too, Moony."

Devyn hugged her godfather one last time before grabbing her cart and running at the wall. She closed her eyes before she got to the barrier and when she opened them, she saw an enormous scarlet train before her, bearing the title, **The Hogwarts Express**.

"This is incredible," Devyn said.

"Isn't it?" Harry showed up next to her, scaring her silly.

"Harry, what are you, like a ninja, or something?"

"I dunno, maybe. Wanna go find a seat?"

"Sure," Devyn said. The two of them walked towards the train, ready to go. They passed Neville and Mrs. Longbottom. Devyn said, "Hey, Neville. See you on the train?"

"Hi, Devyn! I'll try. Those compartments fill up fast," Neville said, hugging Devyn. Harry raised an eyebrow at them and Devyn said, "Oh, Harry, this is a friend of mine, Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is –"  
"You're Harry Potter," Neville said in awe. He was looking at Harry's scar for some reason and Harry quickly flattened his bangs to cover it. _Looks like he isn't too fond of it_, Devyn thought.

"Er, yeah, that's me. Nice to meet you," Harry said.

"Wow," Neville said. "Devyn, you didn't tell me you were friends with Harry Potter!"

"Well, we don't know each other that well. Although, apparently, her godfather was a friend of my Dad's."

"Oh, yes, Remus was a good friend of James'," Mrs. Longbottom said.

"Anyway, we should probably get on the train," Devyn said.

"Right, see you," Neville said.

Devyn and Harry continued on their way and after they gave their tickets to the ticket master, and put their luggage on the train, they climbed aboard and found an empty compartment.

_It's almost time,_ Devyn thought, looking at her watch. It read 10:55.

* * *

On the other side of the barrier, Remus was still staring at the place where Devyn disappeared. Molly patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Remus. She'll be fine. I was so worried when Bill went off for the first time."

Molly took Ginny's hand and patted Remus' shoulder one last time before going on her way. Remus sighed and thought, _Well, that's that. No sense in standing around. I hope she'll be okay. Hogwarts is so big and she could get lost. Then again, she's got Harry and Neville and the Weasleys. And Minerva will look out for her. She'll be fine. She'll be just fine._

And with that, Remus walked away, missing Devyn already. He checked his watch. It read 11:00. The train was leaving.


	11. Chapter 11

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

AN: So, last chapter was the last that we'll be seeing of Remus, at least for a while. Of course, Devyn will still be getting owls from him, but that is the last we will see of him, physically, until which time I decide to bring him back in. Okay? All right, on with the story

**Chapter 11**

"Excuse me. Do you mind?" said a voice. Devyn and Harry looked away from the window to see a red-haired boy standing in the doorway of their compartment. _Does he want us to move?_ Devyn thought.

"Everywhere else is full," the boy said. _Ah, well that answers that,_ Devyn answered her own question.

"Not at all," Harry said and Devyn waved him in. He smiled and took a seat next to Devyn and said, "I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley."

"Devyn Murphy, nice to meet you, Ron," Devyn said. Ron smiled at her and then Harry said, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Devyn wasn't shocked that Ron didn't say something along the lines of, 'you were supposed to be dead', to her. Remus had explained that only the older generations of witches and wizards would really remember her and her parents. Fine by her. She didn't want to walk around and have people accuse of her being dead while she was clearly alive. And she really didn't want any fame. Not that she was famous for anything in the first place. While her parents' murders put Bellatrix Lestrange in the sights of the Ministry and Antonin Dolohov in Azkaban, the wizard prison, that had nothing to do with her. She was merely the only surviving member of the Murphy family. That was it.

However, Ron's reaction to Harry introducing himself was quite funny. The relaxed smile on Ron's face vanished and was replaced by a look of shock and awe. "So," Ron said, "So, it's true. I mean, do you really have the…the…" Ron said, pointing to his own forehead.

"Are you alright?" Devyn asked, slightly worried about him now. Harry simply said, "The what?"

Ron looked embarrassed about asking and then whispered, "The scar."

"Oh," Harry said, understanding what Ron was trying to say. "Yeah."

Harry pushed back his bangs to reveal the thin lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "Wicked," Ron said.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" an old woman pushing a cart filled with sweets and snacks asked them.

"No, thanks, I'm all set," Ron said, lifting up a plastic-wrapped sandwich and looking rather sickened with it. Harry and Devyn felt rather bad for him and Harry said, "We'll take the lot."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Galleons.

"Whoa," Ron said. Devyn had the unfortunate feeling that Ron's family didn't have a lot of money.

Devyn offered to help pay for some of it, but Harry refused, saying something along the lines of never having anything to share, nor anyone to share it with.

Devyn protested, but Harry just silenced her with a look. "Fine," she huffed. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry nodded as Devyn helped him pile the snacks onto one of the seat of the compartments. "So," Devyn said, grabbing something called Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans. "What's the big deal abo-?"

"Oh, be careful with those!" Ron warned, cutting her off. "When they say every flavor, they mean every flavor. There's chocolate and peppermint," he explained.

"Well, hey, fine by me. I like chocolate and peppermint!" Devyn said.

"And there's also, spinach, liver, and tripe."

"Eurgh…that doesn't sound so good," Devyn said. Ron shook his head and said, "No, they're not. George sweared he got a bogey flavored one once."

Harry immediately took the bean he'd been eating out of his mouth but Devyn shrugged and kept eating. They were only candy beans after all. "Anyway, like I was saying," Devyn said, "what's the big deal about Harry's scar?"

"You don't know?" Ron asked incredulously. Harry looked overjoyed that someone finally didn't know more about him than he did.

"Well, I mean, Professor McGonagall told me that Harry somehow destroyed Voldemort -"

Ron gasped and said, "You said the name!"

Devyn sighed and said, "Yes, I did. I don't know this Voldemort, never met him, and I therefore have no reason to be afraid of him."

"But he's responsible for the murder of your parents!" Ron said, still shocked that Devyn actually said the name.

"How did you know that?" Devyn asked. "How did you know my parents were murdered?"

"My mum and dad told me about you and your parents."

"What?" Harry asked. "Voldemort murdered your parents, too?"

While Ron was practically having a convulsion fit at the fact that Harry said the name, too, Devyn said, "Not personally, no. Two of his followers murdered my parents. Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry said. Devyn knew he meant it. He knew exactly what it was like to lose your parents.

At this point, Ron was finally done with the freak out about the name and calmed himself down.

"So, like I was saying before," Devyn continued. "I know that Harry somehow destroyed Voldemort," she ignored Ron's shudder at the name, "the night his parents were murdered. What I don't understand is what the big deal is about his scar."

"Oh, I can answer that," Harry said. "Hagrid; he works at Hogwarts. Hagrid told me that the scar is the mark of the curse that Voldemort shot at me. Apparently it was an evil curse."

"So, that's where Voldemort's curse got you."

"Yeah, apparently."

"Oh. Cool. Well, not cool. That sucks that you got hit with a curse as a baby."

"Yeah," Harry said, clearly wanting the subject to close. He picked up a box and said to Ron, "These aren't real frogs, are they?"

"It's just a spell," Ron replied, after he continued eating his sweets. "Besides, it's the cards you want. Each pack's got a famous witch or wizards. I've about five hundred meself."

Harry opened the box to reveal a chocolate frog which croaked before hopping out of the box and sticking to the window.

"Watch it!" Ron said, frowning at the frog, which had now climbed the window to where it was open and jumped out of it.

"Ah, that's rotten luck," Ron told them. "They've only got one good jump in them to begin with."

"That was so cool!" Devyn said, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from the pile. Luckily, hers didn't get away when she opened the box. She quickly devoured the thing and Ron looked at her strangely.

"What?" she asked around a full mouth of chocolate. "I like chocolate."

Ron smiled and shrugged. Harry took his card out of the box and turned it over.

" I've got Dumbledore!" Harry said excitedly. Devyn looked at card and said, "So that's what he looks like."

Dumbledore had a serene expression on his face and was wearing half-moon glasses. From what Devyn could tell, his eyes were a very light blue. Lighter than hers, even. But that is what Tom in The Leaky Cauldron had told her; that her and her father's eyes were the lightest blue he'd ever seen; rivaled only by Dumbledore's himself.

Card-Dumbledore's hair and beard were long and snow-white. Devyn wondered how old he was, as he looked quite old in the card.

"I've got about six of him," Ron said. Harry and Devyn looked back down at the card, only to see that the Headmaster of Hogwarts had disappeared.

"Hey, he's gone!" Harry said.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day, can you?"

Devyn looked at the card she got from her Chocolate Frog and said, "Oh, look I've got Merlin. Hey, he and Dumbledore look a lot alike."

Devyn and Harry heard a squeaking noise and looked down at the rat that was sitting in Ron's lap. He had his head seemingly stuck in an empty box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans.

"This is Scabbers, by the way. Pathetic, isn't he?"

"Just a little bit," Harry replied, although Devyn felt that he was being nice for Ron's sake. Pathetic wasn't exactly the word Devyn would use to describe Ron's chubby pet rat.

"Fred gave me a spell as to turn him yellow? Want to see?"

"Yeah!" Harry and Devyn said. Ron pulled out his wand and cleared his throat.

"Sun –" he started, but then a girl already dressed in her Hogwarts robes with bushy hair stopped in front of the door.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one," she said in a rather bossy voice.

"No," Ron said.

Harry shrugged and Devyn said, "Oh, Neville. Not again."

"Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him. C'mon, I help you find Trevor."

"Trevor?"

"Yeah, the toad. His name is Trevor."

"Oh," she said. Then she noticed Ron had his wand out. "Are you doing magic? Let's see then."

Ron cleared his throat again and said, "_Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!_"

Well, Scabbers didn't turn yellow, but something happened, because the box went flying off the rat's head and he squeaked in surprise.

Ron, Devyn, and Harry all shrugged at one another, but the girl said, "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it?"

Devyn wasn't so sure she liked this girl. That was really rather rude of her to say. Ron gave them a look that plainly said, '_Who does she think she is?_'

"Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself. But they've all worked for me."

She walked into the compartment, pulling out her wand and sat down in front of Harry. Ron had vacated that seat when they got the sweets, so it was just an empty seat.

"For example," she said, pointing her wand directly at Harry, who went cross-eyed trying to keep the wand in his vision. "_Occulus Reparo_."

The tape that had been holding Harry's glasses together vanished, leaving them fixed, good as new. Harry took them off to examine them as Ron gaped and Devyn's eyes widened; she was impressed. This girl studied before she came on the train.

"That's better, isn't it?" the girl said. "Holy cricket, you're Harry Potter! I'm Hermione Granger. And you two are?" Hermione had a rather disgusted look on her face when she looked at Ron, whose mouth was full with candy or something.

"I'm Devyn Murphy," Devyn said. "Nice to meet you, Hermione."

Of course, she wasn't still sure that she liked Hermione, but she could at least give the girl a chance. Maybe she was nervous and this was how she acted when she was nervous.

Hermione smiled at Devyn and then Ron said, "I'm Ron Weasley," although it came out more like "Um Rum Weafey."

"Pleasure. You three better change into your robes, I expect we'll be arriving soon."

And with that, she stood up and was just about to leave when she said, "Oh, Devyn, didn't you say you would help me find Neville's toad?"

"Yeah, let me just get my robes."

Devyn reached up and grabbed her robes from her backpack, which she had stuffed in there. She and Hermione were about to leave when Hermione turned to Ron and said, "You've got dirt, on your nose by the way, did you know? Just there."

Ron rubbed at the spot on his nose as Hermione left and Devyn said, "I'll see you later, guys."

Devyn and Hermione walked down the train corridor and Devyn said, "I'm just going to change into my robe in the bathroom. Will you wait for me?"

"Sure," Hermione said. Devyn nodded and went into the bathroom. Two minutes later, she came out dressed in the same robes as Hermione.

"All set?" Hermione asked. Devyn nodded in the affirmative and they set off again. Neville, it seemed, was at the very back of the train, looking desperately for Trevor. He, too, was already in his Hogwarts robes.

"Hey, Nev," Devyn said. Neville turned around and smiled broadly when he saw Devyn.

"Devyn! Thank goodness you're here. I can't find Trevor again. He keeps getting away from me!" Neville wailed.

"Okay, don't worry, Neville, we'll find him. I mean, how far could he go? He's only a toad," Hermione said.

Neville shook his head and said, "You'd be surprised how far he could go. One time it took me about three hours just to find him and then another hour to catch him."

"Wow. Slippery toad, isn't he?" Devyn commented.

"Yeah. So where were you? I tried to find you," Neville said. He seemed hurt that she didn't seek him out.

"I was with Harry, and a boy named Ron Weasley."

"Oh," Neville said, a little downcast. Devyn smiled and said, "C'mon, Neville, Trevor isn't at this part of the train. Let's go that way. And if we can't find him, then you, Hermione, and I will go back to the compartment I was in."

"That's all right, you can go without me," Neville said. "You probably want to hang out with your new friends, anyway."

"Neville, no. I want to hang out with you. It just so happened that I got on the train with Harry and then Ron showed up later. That's it. If I could have found you, I would have sat with you. Now, come on, you're coming back with me."

Devyn dragged Neville off and Hermione just stood there. "Hermione, you, too, come on," Devyn called. Hermione said, "Oh!" and ran after the two of them.

They looked for Trevor for a while longer before deciding that he simply didn't want to be found.

"He'll turn up eventually, Neville. He always does," Devyn said, as they walked back to the compartment.

"Hey, Harry, Ron," Devyn said, re-entering the compartment.

"Hi, Devyn," Harry said cheerily. In her absence, both he and Ron had changed into their robes. Harry looked happy to see her, but Ron looked disgruntled that she'd brought Hermione back with her.

"Oh, hi," Harry said to Neville. "Neville, right?"

Neville nodded shyly, awed that Harry Potter remembered his name.

"And Hermione, yeah?" Harry said to Hermione. She nodded and said to Ron, "Ron, this is Neville Longbottom. He's a good friend of mine. He and Hermione will be joining us for the rest of the ride."

"Okay," Ron grumbled, knowing that there was no point in arguing. She hadn't asked if they could sit with them. She had said that they were.

Neville, Devyn, and Harry quickly got to talking and Hermione pulled out a book to read. After a while, Ron pulled Devyn aside and said, "Hey, I don't mind Neville, but why did you bring _her_?"

"Because she's my friend, Ron. And she isn't that bad. She's actually quite nice. And _her _has a name; Hermione."

Ron scowled but Devyn didn't care. She was telling the truth; Hermione really was quite nice. She was a little bossy, but Devyn could look past that easily enough. She, Neville, and Hermione had struck conversation when they were looking for Trevor and Devyn quickly learned that Hermione was very smart, like herself, and rather nice, if a bit of a stick in the mud. She also learned that Hermione was only a month and one day older than Devyn. They learned each other's birthdays; Hermione's was September 19th, Devyn told them hers was October 20th, and Neville told them his was July 30th.

"Oh, your birthday was not too long ago! Well, happy belated birthday, Neville!" Devyn had said. _I'll have to remember that for next summer. I'll get him a card and a little something. And maybe I could make a card for Hermione's birthday. It's coming up soon, anyway._

Hermione, on her part, seemed delighted that she found a friend in Devyn, and something of an acquaintance in Neville. So, Ron's annoyance didn't bother her much. She didn't care what the red-head thought of Hermione; the bushy haired girl was her friend and she wasn't about to abandon her just because Ron didn't like her.

Luckily, Ron didn't say anything else on the matter for the time being and she went back to her conversation with Harry and Neville. Eventually, Hermione put her book away and joined in, although Harry wasn't too thrilled with her being there either. Ron was the only one sitting there in silence.

In fact, he sat like that for the rest of the ride, and when the train shuddered to a halt, and everyone disembarked the train, Ron said not a word. Devyn didn't know if he was still upset, or just nervous.

All Devyn did know was, as Neville stayed very close to her, that she was very, very nervous. But, there was nothing for it, now. So she stepped off the train and into the night, ready, now more than ever, to start her time at Hogwarts.

* * *

**Okay, I know, not such a great ending. But, what did you think of Devyn befriending Hermione? Don't worry, Ron and Harry won't be too keen to be friends with her just yet. However, I am hoping to include Neville a little more. Please tell me what you liked/disliked. Next chapter should be soon, so keep reading and reviewing. **

**P.S.: Honestly, what I just noticed about this story is that right now, on August 23rd, 2012, at 1:15 PM, this story has 7 favorites and 7 reviews. Huh...ironic, isn't it, because the number seven was a reoccurring number in Harry Potter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 12**

"Right then! First years! This way, please! Come on now, don't be shy! Come on now, hurry up!"

Devyn heard a new voice booming at them from above and when she looked up, she wasn't quite sure her eyes were working properly. As she was being pushed along by the crowd, she grabbed onto Neville's hand, and he held hers tightly so as not to lose her, but her attention was set on the giant of a man that stood before them with a lantern in his hand.

Harry, Ron, Devyn and, because she was still holding his hand, Neville walked up in front of the giant and he said, looking down at them, "Hello, Harry."

"Hey, Hagrid," Harry replied. _So this is Hagrid. Wow_, Devyn thought. She also briefly wondered where Hermione had got to. _She must have gotten lost in the crowd_.

Ron seemed to share her thoughts because he said, "Whoa!" when he caught sight of Hagrid. He smiled down at them all from at least four feet above them, which made him over eight feet tall, at least.

"So, Harry, who're your friends?" Hagrid asked. Neville, Devyn noticed, went a shade of pink upon being named as one of Harry's friends by Hagrid. _It must have been a very bright pink for me to see it in the dark_, Devyn thought.

"This is Ron Weasley, Devyn Murphy," at her name, Hagrid raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, thankfully. "And this is Neville Longbottom." If Neville had been pink before, he was bright red now.

"Neville, you all right?" Devyn asked.

Neville nodded and looked away. Devyn noticed with a smile that they were still holding hands, but apparently Neville noticed it too, because he let go of her hand about two seconds later.

"Right then," Hagrid said, raising his voice so that all the other first years could hear him. "This way to the boats! Come on, now, follow me."

This was an extremely easy task, because it was impossible to lose sight of Hagrid. They were lead towards a lake and there, in the water, sat a bunch of boats, waiting for them. Hagrid told them that the boats would only hold four of them, and not to exceed that limit.

Devyn shrugged and climbed into a boat with Neville, Harry, and Ron. Devyn caught sight of Hermione sitting in a boat four away from hers. Devyn was happy to see that she hadn't been trampled by the crowd, which seemed entirely possible, given the number of people that had gotten off the train. Once everyone was seated, and Hagrid had settled himself in the lead boat, they took off across the lake and within minutes, they got their first glimpse of Hogwarts.

"Wicked," Ron breathed. It was an incredible sight. The outline of the castle, which was enormous, was barely visible against the pitch black night sky, and Devyn would hazard a guess and say that if it hadn't been for the many windows which were alight with a golden glow, the castle would have been completely invisible.

Devyn could feel her breath slipping away from her, and she quickly started breathing again, not wanting to pass out and fall into the lake, whose waters were giving off a cold and unforgiving vibe. The waters were almost as black as the sky, although that might have been because the sun wasn't out. Maybe the lake would look less threatening in the daylight.

After a couple more minutes, they reached the opposite shore of the lake and got off the boats. Devyn's heart thudded even harder, a feat which she would have thought impossible, as they walked up to the castle doors. The entire group of first years was led through the insanely large doors and soon, they found themselves standing in front none other than Professor McGonagall.

Devyn beamed when she saw McGonagall, and McGonagall looked at her for a nanosecond and smiled for less than that. If she had blinked, she would have missed the friendly facial expression. Devyn knew that because they were at school now, she would have to keep her friendship, if that was the word, with the teacher downplayed. The last thing Devyn wanted was for McGonagall's students to think that she played favorites.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," McGonagall said, looking out at them all. "Now, in a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you can take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor," Devyn smiled at the name of the house she wanted, and McGonagall continued. "Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Now, while you are here, your house will be like your family."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this, and Devyn frowned, remembering his so-called "family" and the way they treated him at the zoo. She certainly hoped that whatever house Harry was in, it was nothing like his family.

"Your triumphs," McGonagall continued, "will earn you house points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

"_Trevor_!" Neville suddenly shouted, and leaped forward. Sure enough, Trevor the toad had been sitting next to McGonagall's feet, croaking almost silently, unnoticed by anyone. Neville grabbed Trevor and McGonagall looked down at him, a severe expression on her face.

_How in the world did Trevor get all the way here? _Devyn asked herself. She shrugged as Neville said, "Sorry," and backed away, coming to stand next to Devyn again.

McGonagall didn't let the interruption faze her and said, "The sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." She left and it was silent until someone said, "It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts."

Almost immediately whispers broke out amongst the first years, with the exception of Devyn, Neville, Ron, and Hermione, as they already knew that Harry was there, obviously. Devyn looked around at the boy who spoke and saw a smirking blonde boy whose hair was slicked back. Just on sight, Devyn didn't like him.

Something in her said that this boy was bad news. He nodded to the large boys in back of him and said, "This is Crabbe and Goyle." He moved in front of Harry, and although he didn't mean to, Devyn and Ron. Neville had seemingly shrunk back behind her, not wanting to deal with this boy.

"And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," he said. Ron and Devyn both snickered at his name, and Malfoy glared at them.

"Think my name is funny, do you?" he said.

"Yes," Devyn said defiantly, but Ron said nothing. Draco glared at her, but said nothing to her. He turned to Ron and said, "Well, I've no need to ask yours. Red hair, and a hand-me-down robe? You must be a Weasley."

Again Ron said nothing but Devyn's glare morphed into what she liked to call her "kindly go swallow some cyanide capsules" glare. She didn't like his tone at all. Malfoy turned to her and said, "You, however. Who are you?" Again, she didn't like his tone.

"What's it to you?" Devyn snapped.

Draco sneered at her and said, "If you're ashamed of your heritage, that isn't my problem. You're probably a Mud-"

"I am NOT ashamed of my heritage, you little rat. My name, for your information, is Devyn Murphy."

Malfoy's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Again, some whispering was heard, but not nearly as much as when Harry's name was said.

"Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be dead. Well, I'm not, so deal with it," she said, loudly. Malfoy just sneered and turned his attention back to Harry.

"You'll soon find, that some Wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort," he said, looking at Ron and Devyn, who death-glared right back at him, as he said the last part. He stuck his hand out to Harry and said, "I can help you there."

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself thanks," Harry said coldly, ignoring Malfoy's hand. He glared at Harry but wasn't able to say anything else as McGonagall returned and tapped Malfoy on the shoulder with the rolled up paper she was carrying. He returned to his original spot with Crabbe and Goyle. McGonagall looked at them all and said, "We're ready for you now."


	13. Chapter 13

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**AN: Devyn's sorting will probably be right after Hermione's. At least that's how I'm planning it.**

Devyn's heart was beating so fast now that it wouldn't have surprised her if she went into cardiac arrest. Surely, it couldn't be healthy for someone's heart to be beating this fast, she reasoned. Just as she thought she might start hyperventilating, the doors that McGonagall was leading them all through opened.

She and all the other first years walked through the doors to find all the other students staring at them as they walked down the middle of the room. However, Devyn barely had enough attention to spare for all the other students, because of the incredible room that she was now in.

There were torches lit and the fires in them were crackling merrily, almost welcoming them to the school. In addition to that, there were tons of white candles floating in the air above them. Devyn looked around the crowd as she walked and saw that up ahead of them was a table that the teachers must sit at, and right in the middle of the table, sitting in the most ornate chair of all was Albus Dumbledore himself.

Devyn then looked up and her jaw dropped. The ceiling was non-existent and in its place was the night sky, complete with moving clouds. But - no -wait, the ceiling was there. Devyn could see the supports through the dark visage.

_What the -? How is this even possible? _Devyn thought.

"It's not real, the ceiling," Devyn heard Hermione tell someone. It sounded as though Hermione was right behind Harry and Ron, who were right behind her and Neville, and they were right in front. "It's just bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

_Oh, well, that explains it_, she thought.

Nevertheless, real or not, it was an enchanting sight to behold. And then, almost miraculously, as Devyn started to feel her legs shaking beneath her, McGonagall stopped and turned to them.

"Will you wait along here, please?" McGonagall requested. They stopped walking and soon the area became crowded with nervous first years. Devyn chanced a look at Neville, who was practically shaking. He looked at her and gave a nervous and terrified smile. Devyn returned the smile, although she hoped that hers was a touch more reassuring.

"Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words," McGonagall told them.

_Oh, this is torture! Can we please just get on with it. Neville looks like he's about to faint, I'm about three seconds from having a heart attack, and I imagine everyone else is about the same, _Devyn thought, rather disgruntled. Regardless, she turned her attention to the elderly Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce," he said. "The first years please note that the dark forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker," he gestured to someone behind them, and when Devyn turned around to see who Dumbledore was pointing out, she caught a glimpse of an older man with long hair and what looked like a cat sitting at his feet. "Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

At these words, Devyn frowned. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, but he didn't look like he was joking, so Devyn took it as being serious. She looked at Neville, who was frowning also.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, sitting down. McGonagall unrolled the paper she had and looked at it before saying, "Now when I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head," McGonagall lifted up the tattered, pointed hat that sat on the stool in front of them, which Devyn only just noticed, and then continued speaking, "and you will be sorted into your houses."

_Seems simple enough,_ Devyn thought.

McGonagall looked at her paper again and called out, "Hermione Granger!"

Hermione walked up, saying, "Oh, no. Okay, relax."

Devyn felt sorry for her, having to be the first one. Which was why, when Ron said, "Mental that one, I'm telling you", and Harry nodded in agreement, she turned and glared at them both. Ron just shrugged at her.

"Leave her alone," Devyn mouthed. Ron made a face at her and she turned back around, knowing that if he persisted being so immature, Devyn would probably smack him. And she doubted that beating up another student was looked upon highly.

Hermione sat on the stool, McGonagall placed the hat on her head, and then a voice spoke. The hat was talking. The **HAT **was **TALKING**!

"Ah, right then...hmm...right. Okay, GRYFFINDOR!"

Devyn smiled and the Gryffindor table started applauding for Hermione, who eagerly jumped off the stool and joined their table.

"Devyn Murphy!" McGonagall called. She could see that two of the teachers, one with a turban and one with black hair that hung like curtains looked around at her name, and Dumbledore tilted his head a little. Devyn's smile disappeared quickly as she took a deep breath and walked forward, too painfully aware of all the eyes on her. She sat on the stool and felt the hat placed on her head.

"Well, then, a split child. One parent to Ravenclaw, the other to Gryffindor. But where do you belong? Kind, certainly; loyal, most definitely; intelligent, oh yes; talented, clearly. I see great things in your future. But what house would you do best in?"

Devyn started begging silently not to be Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin. Another minute passed, although it felt like an eternity, before the hat spoke again.

"Well, I do believe I have made my choice. It is clear that you belong in...**GRYFFINDOR**!"

Devyn sighed and the hat was removed from her head. She got off the stool and walked over to the Gryffindor table, who was cheering loudly. She took a seat across from Hermione, who was still smiling, and looked toward the rest of the unsorted first years.

"Draco Malfoy!" McGonagall called. Malfoy walked up and the hat had barely touched his head before yelling, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy smirked and sauntered off to the Slytherin table. Devyn rolled her eyes, although she was happy that she was not in the same house as him.

Devyn saw Ron whisper something to Harry, but being too far away, couldn't hear what it was. She shrugged and looked back to McGonagall, who called out, "Susan Bones!"

A long-haired, red head walked up and sat down. Devyn noticed the black-haired teacher staring at something, or someone. Devyn followed his line of sight, and figured out that he was staring at Harry, who did something very odd. He jumped a little and his hand flew up to his forehead.

Ron looked at him and whispered something, but Harry shook his head. _What was that all about_? Devyn wondered.

But, she didn't have time to ponder it, because the Sorting Hat said, "Let's see...I know...Hufflepuff!"

Susan smiled and ran to join the Hufflepuffs. McGonagall then called out, "Ronald Weasley!"

Ron walked up and the Hat was placed on his head. "Ah!" the Hat exclaimed, scaring both Ron and Professor McGonagall, who backed away a little bit. "Another Weasley!" the Hat said. "I know just what to do with you...Gryffindor!"

Percy, Fred, and George stood up while they applauded their brother. Ron sighed and ran towards her and Hermione. He sat down next to Hermione and McGonagall said, "Harry Potter!"

Everything went completely silent as Harry walked up. All the students' hushed conversations ceased at once. Even Dumbledore sat up a little straighter.

"Hmm, difficult, very difficult," the Hat started. "Plenty of courage I see, not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?"

Devyn saw Harry muttering something and the Hat said, "Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that! No? Well, if you're sure, better be..."

Devyn crossed her fingers, hoping against hope that Harry wouldn't end up in Slytherin. If all Slytherins were like Malfoy, Harry most definitely didn't belong there.

"...GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat finally announced. The effect these words had was surprising but not shocking. The entire Gryffindor table stood up and cheered as loudly as possible.

"We got Potter, we got Potter!" Devyn heard Fred and George chanting happily. Harry made his way over and looked at Professor Dumbledore, who raised his goblet to Harry, before he sat down.

Everyone wanted to shake his hand and they were still goggling at him as several others were sorted, including Crabbe and Goyle, whose first names were Vincent and Gregory, who were sorted into Slytherin; a girl named Parvati Patil was sorted into Gryffindor and her sister, Padma Patil, was sorted into Ravenclaw; A girl named Lavender Brown was also sorted into Gryffindor; Hannah Abbott was sorted into Hufflepuff, along with a boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan.

But there was only one other person that Devyn was interested in seeing be sorted: Neville. His name was finally called and he walked up.

"Longbottom, eh?" the Hat commented, before setting to work sorting Neville. Devyn watched nervously as Neville remained silent and the Hat finally announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Devyn cheered loudly as Neville made his way over to the Gryffindor table. He looked slightly worried but still happy as he sat down next Devyn, who gave him a sort of sideways hug.

"You see, Neville? I told you there was nothing to worry about! We're in the same House!" Devyn said excitedly.

"Yeah. You were right," Neville said. He still looked worried and Devyn said, "Nev, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" he said quickly. Devyn raised her eyebrow at him and he said quietly, "It's just...Gryffindors are brave..."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm not. I'm not brave at all."

"Neville!" Devyn admonished. "Don't put yourself down like that."

"But it's true, Devyn! I'm nothing special," Neville said miserably.

"Yes you are. You're Neville Longbottom. That's special enough. And anyone who tells you otherwise isn't worth your time. Just because you don't think you're brave, doesn't mean that you aren't. Okay?"

Neville looked at her, still unsure, but much happier. Devyn smiled at him and said, "Now, c'mon, I don't wanna hear anything about you not belonging in Gryffindor. Look, here we are, at Hogwarts, finally! This isn't a time to be sad or worried! We can do that when our first tests come around."

Neville laughed and nodded. "You're right. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't my friend, Devyn."

"That's something you'll never have to worry about, Neville. I promise you that," Devyn told him, touching his arm.

And she meant it. She truly meant it; Neville would never have to worry about her not being his friend. She might be many things, but disloyal wasn't one of them. She would not abandon her first friend for anything. She didn't care what happened; just like she wouldn't abandon Hermione simply because Ron didn't like her, she wouldn't abandon Neville, even if he asked her to.

Not even if that happened, would she forsake Neville. Never.


	14. Chapter 14

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 14**

The Great Hall was alive with chatter as the newly sorted first years got acquainted with each other and the older students greeted their friends. Devyn, Neville, Harry, and Ron were talking about what they were most looking forward to, now that they were sorted when a sound chimed.

Devyn looked around, trying to figure out what it was when she realized that it had only been McGonagall rapping her spoon on her goblet.

"Your attention please!" McGonagall called as the many students fell silent. Dumbledore stood up and Devyn thought that he was going to give some sort of speech that dragged on forever, but he simply said, making the very hungry Devyn like him even more, "Let the feast…begin."

Food appeared on the tables like, well, magic and Devyn was in awe. She had never seen so many delicious looking foods before. She had just lifted some turkey onto her plate when she heard a sandy-haired Irish boy named Seamus Finnigan, who was sitting next to Neville, say, "I'm half and half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mam's a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out."

Neville laughed and Devyn smiled. She wondered what it must be like to find out that your significant other was, in fact, a witch or wizard. She imagined it must be quite a shock, to say the least. She knew that it was surprising enough when she found that out about herself, so she could somewhat understand what it might feel like.

Devyn started eating and barely had time to savor the deliciousness of the turkey when she heard Harry say, "Say, Percy, who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

Percy looked to where Harry's line of sight was pointed and so did Devyn. As it turned out, Harry was referring to the teacher that had been staring at Harry before, which made Professor Quirrell the one in the turban.

"Oh, that's Professor Snape," Percy said. "Head of Slytherin House."

_Yeah, he looks like he would be the head of Slytherin. He looks a little unpleasant, _Devyn thought as she watched him. _Then again, I could be wrong._

"What's he teach?" Harry asked. Devyn would have asked that herself but she didn't want to seem like she was interrupting their conversation. Besides, she was sure she'd learn what Snape taught in time. But it seemed she didn't have to wait to find out because Percy said, "Potions. But everyone knows it's the Dark Arts he fancies. He's been after Quirrell's job for years."

Devyn hummed thoughtfully to herself. _Potions_, _huh?_ _Sounds interesting._

But she had no more time to contemplate Potions and the possible friendliness of the man who taught it because just as Ron was about to reach for another chicken wing, a transparent head popped out of the bowl he was reaching for.

"Ahh!" Ron exclaimed in fright.

"Hello! How are you? Welcome to Gryffindor!" the head said. It took Devyn a little more than thirty seconds to process that this was a ghost. And that it – no, he - was real.

Somewhere around the region of the Hufflepuff table (Devyn knew this because she had watched to see where that Susan Abbott girl had gone) another ghost came floating along the table, making stereotypical ghost sounds, while another one started swiping playfully at the Slytherin students with his sword.

"Look, it's the Bloody Baron!" one girl exclaimed. Devyn turned her attention back to the ghost at their table and Percy said, "Hello, Sir Nicholas. Have a nice summer?"

Devyn watched the ghost named Sir Nicholas as he replied, "Dismal. Once again, my request to join the Headless Hunt has been denied."

"Do you know who he is?" Devyn asked Neville. He shrugged but then whispered, "Oh, wait! I do; that's Nearly Headless Nick! He's the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower. Gran told me about him."

"Oh. Nearly Headless Nick…has a nice ring to it," she decided. She again focused on the ghost, who had started to leave until Ron turned around and said, "Hey, I know you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

Nick sniffed and said, "I prefer Sir Nicholas, if you don't mind."

Devyn filed that bit of information away for future knowledge. Sir Nicholas had every right to decided what he should be referred to as, at least to his face. Maybe she would just call him Nick.

However, it seemed that no one else was listening to him because Hermione said, "Nearly headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Nick looked at her and said, "Like this," and grabbed his head and pulled it to the side. As it turned out, his head was hanging on by what looked like a couple strands of muscle. Of course, Devyn couldn't really be sure, because they were transparent, but that's what it looked like. While Ron and Hermione looked away in disgust, Nick shrugged and pulled his head back into place.

"That was so cool!" Devyn said. Nick turned to her and she continued, "It must have been a horrible way to die, though."

Nick looked at her like she was something he didn't quite understand before saying, "Yes, it was quite horrible, and painful. The executioner apparently hadn't sharpened his ax, which lead to me not being properly beheaded."

"Oh," was all Devyn said, not exactly sure how to reply. Nick narrowed his eyes at her before saying, "You look familiar, like a student that was here many years ago. Although, what seems like many years to the living, seems like minutes to us ghosts."

"Well, my dad was a Gryffindor. Maybe you're thinking about him, Sir Nicholas."

Nick seemed pleased that she didn't use his nickname and said, "It's possible. Who was your father?"

"Michael Murphy."

"Ah, yes. Yes, I remember him. He was part of James Potter's group of friends if I remember correctly. And your name is?"

"Devyn. I'm Devyn Murphy."

"Ah, yes. Yes. Well, welcome back, Devyn. Welcome back, and welcome to Gryffindor! I hope you'll be an asset to this noble House. Good evening," Nick nodded to her and floated off. Harry looked at her and said, "Your dad knew my dad?"

"Yeah. They were really close friends, apparently, Harry."

"Oh," Harry replied. He then went back to eating, as did Devyn. As she ate, she thought about Nearly Headless Nick. She wondered what he had done to get himself executed. She also had noticed that his clothing wouldn't look out of place in the 15th century, so Devyn wondered if that was when he died.

She would love to find out, but she wasn't about to interrogate the poor guy about his death. Even though, he seemed friendly enough and talked rather freely about his manner of death to Devyn, she gathered that, in any case, he wouldn't want to be questioned about his demise. She knew that if she was a ghost, she wouldn't want some overly curious first year badgering her about how she died.

And with these and other thoughts in her head, she continued to eat her very delicious meal, and then the very delicious desserts which appeared afterwards.

By the time Dumbledore announced that it was time for them all to get to bed, Devyn was quite full and comfortably sleepy.


	15. Chapter 15

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 15**

Devyn and Neville grumbled as they were led up to the infinitesimal amount of stairs that occupied Hogwarts castle. Percy the prefect was going to be leading the first year group up to Gryffindor Tower. The Ravenclaw prefect led the first year Ravenclaws off to wherever they were going as Percy told them to keep up.

Devyn's jaw dropped when she saw the infinitesimal amount of staircases before her. Neville actually had to close her jaw for her.

"This is the most direct path to the dormitories," Percy told them. "Oh, and keep an eye on the staircases – they like to change."

"They like to _what_?" Devyn heard a tall black boy named Dean Thomas hiss to Seamus. Devyn heaved a sigh and trudged on. She was so very sleepy…but then she felt wide-awake when she saw the many pictures and portraits that hung on the walls.

Why did they catch her attention, you ask? The answer was simple. The pictures were **MOVING. **

"Neville, look! The pictures are moving!"

"Wow! I've seen pictures that move before, but never this big!" Neville exclaimed. Devyn, on the other hand, said, "You've seen moving pictures like this before?"

"Oh, yeah, they're common in the Wizarding World. Sorry, I keep forgetting all of this is new to you," Neville said.

"That's so cool!" she replied. Neville grinned and nodded. Just then, Ron pointed to a portrait of a girl who was curtseying to them all and said, "Look at that one, Harry!"

When she noticed that Ron saw her, she wiggled her fingers at him in a wave. Harry chuckled and said, "I think she fancies you."

Then another painting, this time one of a man that looked like a teacher or some other authority figure spoke. "Welcome to Hogwarts," he said. Devyn nodded and grinned at him and he nodded right back at her. Devyn was having a hard time, at this point, containing her excitement.

If it weren't for the many talkative portraits lining the walls above the staircases, Devyn guessed that the climb to Gryffindor Tower would have been much more tortuous than it had been. But, nevertheless, when they finally stopped in front of a portrait of a large lady in a pink dress, it was a huge relief.

"Password?" the lady asked Percy. Devyn looked at Neville, who had just groaned softly.

"What?" she whispered. Neville shook his head and said, "I'm never gonna remember the passwords."

"I'll help you remember, Nev, don't worry."

Neville nodded, smiling at Devyn, as Percy said, "Caput Draconis."

The woman nodded and her portrait swung open to reveal a hole in the wall. Percy climbed through and said, "Follow me, everyone. Keep up, quickly, come on."

"Oh, wow," Devyn said. It was all she could really manage. She felt like she just walked into a fireplace. Everywhere she looked, there were tones of scarlet and gold. It was warm, but not overwhelmingly warm. She thought it was perfect, and evidently, so did her friends. Hermione finally had caught up to her and Neville and said, "This is wonderful, isn't it?"

Devyn nodded and Neville said, "Yeah it is."

They all crowded into the red-and-gold room and Percy said, "Gather round here. Welcome to the Gryffindor Common Room. Boys' dormitories, upstairs and down to your left. Girls, the same on your right. You'll find your belongings have already been brought up."

Devyn said goodnight to Neville and he quickly hugged her. She smiled when he did and hugged him back. Hermione giggled at them and when they walked up the stairs, after Devyn bid good night to Harry and Ron as well, Devyn asked, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, really. You and Neville are so cute, that's all."

"We're _cute_?" Devyn asked; there was nothing wrong with that, it just wasn't the word she would have picked to describe Neville and herself.

"Yes. Don't you see it?"

"Don't I see what?"

"He –" Hermione started, but whatever she was about to say about Neville was drowned by the very exuberant greeting that came at them from the moment they walked in the door of the girls' dorms.

"Hello, there! I'm Lavender Brown, this is Parvati Patil! Who are you?" Lavender was very excited and Devyn found herself dumbstruck at her girly voice. She was the exact type of girl that Devyn couldn't stand; frilly, girly, and bubbly. She didn't mind happy people, but, if Lavender's first impression was to be perceived as accurate and reliable, she went WAY beyond the label of 'happy'.

"Oh!" Hermione seemed to have been surprised at Lavender's greeting as well, but she said, "I'm Hermione Granger."

"I'm Devyn Murphy. Nice to meet you…"

Lavender smiled at the two of them and then continued conversing with Parvati. Devyn shook her head and went to the bed that had her belongings next to it. On a chair next to her bed was a uniform, all laid out for her, with a scarlet and gold tie instead of the black one that she was wearing.

Happily, Hermione's bed was right next to Devyn's and they both sat down on their respective beds. She was about ready to pass out right there and then but she knew that she had to change out of her uniform and into her pajamas. So, she drew the hangings on her bed after fishing in her suitcase for her pajamas and changed on her bed.

She assumed the other girls did the same because she could hear the hangings being pulled. When she finished changing, she laid her uniform on her trunk at the end of her bed. Before she closed her eyes to go to sleep, she got a good look at the dormitory.

Its walls were an off-white color, like the rest of the castle's insides. There were four, four-poster beds, one for each of them and each of the beds' covers were red, to represent Gryffindor. There was a stove in the middle of the room and there was a water jug on a table at one of the windows.

After that, she bid an exhausted 'good night' to Hermione, and she supposed, Lavender and Parvati, too, as she climbed into her very warm and very soft bedcovers. She wasn't quite sure she was going to like the other two girls, but at least she had Hermione. And Neville, also, even though he obviously wasn't a girl.

He was her best friend, though. She briefly wondered what Hermione had been trying to tell her about Neville before they entered the dorm, but then realized that she was too tired to think and really didn't care, anyway.

And with one last thought about her best friend Neville, she passed out cold.

* * *

"Devyn!"

Someone was shaking her. Why was someone shaking her? Couldn't they see she was asleep?

"Go away," she mumbled, swiping at air.

"No, Devyn, come on! We've got our classes today! Professor McGonagall hands out the schedules at breakfast!" It was Hermione.

"How d'you know that?" Devyn asked blearily.

"I asked Percy."

Devyn sighed, "Of course you did."

"Now, come on, will you get up?!"

"I'm going, I'm going. Keep your skirt on."

Devyn got up and stretched before grabbing her uniform and stumbling into the bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. Luckily, her hair was very short and straight, so she didn't need to do much with it, which cut down on a lot of time.

When she came out of the bathroom about twenty minutes later, Hermione was sitting on her bed, tapping her foot impatiently. "Are you ready?" she asked, her voice showing her impatience in a way that her bouncing foot could not.

"Yes."

"Finally!" Hermione flounced out of the room, Devyn close on her heels.

"Hermione, I know you're excited to find out your schedule, but please, for the love of everything sane in the world, calm down!"

Hermione stopped, turned around, and looked at her friend, who was rubbing her eyes tiredly. Devyn wasn't a morning person. At all.

"Sorry," Hermione said breathlessly.

"It's okay. Just slow down a little, please."

Hermione nodded and Devyn shook her head to wake herself up a little more. They headed down to the Great Hall; they sort of got lost until they happened across Nearly Headless Nick, who was only too happy to show them the way.

"Thanks, Sir Nicholas!" Devyn said. Nick nodded and smiled at them. She honestly would have thought that she would have been more afraid of ghosts, but Nick wasn't someone to be feared. He was a good guy – or ghost, rather – and Devyn truly liked him.

She sort of felt bad about leaving Neville behind, but her guilt dissipated when she saw Neville waving at her from the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Nev!" she said, as she sat down next to him. Hermione took a seat next to her and they both started to help themselves to breakfast; eggs and bacon for Devyn and oatmeal for Hermione. About five minutes later, Harry and Ron ran into the Great Hall and sat down next to them. Harry greeted Devyn and Hermione, but Ron sort of pretended that Hermione wasn't there.

Devyn was a little annoyed by that, but Hermione seemed indifferent, so she didn't let it get to her. However, she glared at Ron, who didn't even see her glare. Devyn rolled her eyes and finished her last piece of bacon, with a contented sigh.

Hermione looked at her with an eyebrow raised and Devyn said, "What? I like bacon, okay?"

Hermione shrugged and then sat up as straight as an arrow when McGonagall started walking along the table, handing out schedules.

She finally got to their group and Neville, Devyn, Hermione, Harry, and Ron got their schedules. They looked at them and discovered that they had Transfiguration first and then Potions. And after Potions came Defense against the Dark Arts.

All Devyn knew was that this was certainly going to be an interesting experience.


	16. Chapter 16

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 16**

"Whew! We made it!"

Devyn turned in her seat when she heard footsteps and Ron's voice burst into the Transfiguration classroom, only to see the redhead and Harry looking very nervous and rather out of breath. Devyn shook her head briefly before returning to the work that McGonagall, now in her cat form, assigned them. She guessed that McGonagall was in her cat form because cats had excellent eyesight and hearing, so she would know instantly if someone was talking or goofing off in her class.

"Could you imagine the look on old McGonagall's face if we were late?" Ron said. Harry's expression gave away nothing as he stared at the cat sitting on the desk.

_Open mouth, insert foot_, Devyn thought as she glanced at Hermione, who was also shaking her head with an annoyed expression on her face. She laughed very silently at her friend's expression and Neville frowned at her in confusion. She shook her head and mouthed, _Later_.

Neville nodded and returned to his work just as McGonagall leapt off her desk and transformed in mid-air, coming to stand a few feet in front of Ron and Harry. Devyn found she quite liked McGonagall's cat form. The cat she became was a very beautiful animal. However, she wondered how McGonagall became a cat. She hoped that one day she could ask her and somehow be able to transform into an animal herself.

"That was bloody brilliant," Ron finally said after staring, open-mouthed, at McGonagall's transformation. Devyn was sure, although McGonagall had her back to her, that the expression on her teacher's face was nothing short of being a hawk-like sternness.

"Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall told him. Devyn snorted quietly. She liked Harry, and she wasn't completely sure about Ron yet, and she didn't want them to get into trouble, but McGonagall's comment was rather funny.

"Perhaps it would be more useful if I were to transfigure Mr. Potter and yourself into a pocket watch. That way one of you might be on time."

Harry finally closed his mouth and said, "We got lost."

Devyn made a soft sound of understanding to herself as McGonagall said, "Then perhaps a map? I trust you don't need one to find your seats?"

Devyn and Neville looked at each other, both trying to keep some laughter contained. Again, she didn't want Harry and Ron to get into trouble, but it was kind of funny. Devyn managed to suppress her amusement and went back to her work as Harry and Ron sat down.

* * *

After Transfiguration, Devyn, Neville, and Hermione went down to the dungeons, where they were to have Potions with the Slytherins. Devyn wasn't too happy about having to be in a class with that Malfoy boy, but she was determined to ignore him.

They were talking about what they thought Snape would be like when Devyn became aware of someone walking very close behind them, staring at her. She could practically feel their eyes burning a hole into her back.

She turned and groaned. She had hoped that it was either Harry or Ron, but she was sorely disappointed; it was Malfoy and his two cronies...what were their names? Grabbe and Coyle?...no, Crabbe and Goyle. That was it, Crabbe and Goyle.

When Malfoy saw that she noticed him, he smirked in such a smug way that Devyn wanted to slap him. But she knew that she couldn't just go around smacking people who annoyed her. At least, not without a good reason, that is.

She turned back to her friends and said, "Don't look now, but Malfoy has us in his crosshairs."

Hermione frowned but Neville immediately looked nervous. "What is it, Neville?" Devyn asked.

"O-oh, it's just that the Malfoy's have a reputation for being, well, not very nice," Neville said. She shook her head and said, "Ten to one, he won't try anythi-"

She got cut off when Malfoy strutted up behind them and said, very loudly, "Hey, Murphy. Why are you hanging out with _them_? Why don't you come hang out with us? We both know you're only friends with them because you pity them. And who could blame you? Granger is a frizzy, beaver and Longbottom is an idiot."

Devyn turned around, ready to punch Malfoy, but Hermione and Neville held both her arms, effectively stopping her from beating the living crap out of the little blonde snot. Malfoy raised his eyebrows and said, "Temper, temper, Murphy. Now come on, ditch them and come with me. You never know, we could end up being matched."

"_Matched_?" Devyn snarled.

"Yeah, Murphy. Matched. You know, betrothed; intended."

Devyn tried not to puke at the thought as she growled, "You listen to me, you horrid excuse for a human, I will never, _never_ desert my friends for you, or for anyone else. Do you understand me, you little maggot? Never. They are my friends and I do not pity them! Hermione is smarter than you'll ever be and Neville...Neville is three hundred times the man you'll ever be. And, so help me, if you ever insinuate the two of us being involved in any way, I promise you, you will live to regret it. Now, if you value your life and your sanity, walk away. NOW. Walk away from me."

Throughout Devyn's speech, Malfoy's smirk slowly became a sneer. "You'll regret this, Murphy. One day. One day, you'll wish you'd never crossed me. My father will hear of this."

"Oh, really? Oh, no, I'm really scared now," Devyn said, sarcastically. "Is your daddy gonna get me, for not wanting to be friends with you?"

Malfoy turned pink and snarled, "At least I have a father, Murphy."

Devyn's teasing disposition instantly shifted to anger and broke free of her friends' grip and grabbed the front of Malfoy's robes. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles threateningly but did nothing beyond that. Her voice lowered to a lethal volume, shaking with rage. "Don't ever talk about my family. Are we clear?"

She didn't threaten him, or promise him bodily harm, but Malfoy got the message. He pushed her off him and Devyn turned on her heel and walked away.

* * *

They finally made it to the dungeons, and Devyn had managed to calm down from her encounter with Malfoy. Devyn took a seat next to Neville, Hermione sat down next to Harry, and Devyn noticed Ron sitting near a girl she was pretty sure was called Susan Bones.

The class was chattering animatedly but silenced immediately when Snape walked in. He swiftly moved from the door to his podium, saying, "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class."

Devyn looked at Neville, who looked frightened of Snape already. She grabbed his hand under the table and squeezed it in what she hoped was a reassuring way. Neville's expression relaxed at little and Devyn smiled to herself.

However, she quickly focused her attention back on Snape when he said, "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those...select few," he looked pointedly at Malfoy and Devyn fought the urge to roll her eyes when he smirked proudly, "who possess the predisposition...I can teach you how bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even...put a stopper in death."

Although something felt off about Snape to her, Devyn had to admit she was very interested in Potions. It sounded fascinating to her, but also extremely difficult.

Suddenly, Snape's gaze shifted to Harry, who Devyn noticed was writing something on a piece of parchment. She hoped he wasn't doodling. She had a feeling Snape would poison him or something if he was.

"Then again," the softly-speaking Professor said, "maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to _**not pay attention**_."

Hermione nudged Harry with her elbow and jerked her head towards Snape. Harry put down his quill and looked at Snape. Snape walked in front of Harry and said, "Mr. Potter. Our new...celebrity."

Devyn had a feeling that this would not end well.

"Tell me," Snape said, with Harry staring back at him. "What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"

Hermione's hand shot up into the air and Devyn thought to herself; she like Hermione had read a little bit of textbooks and had an excellent memory for things like this. _I know this. I'm not going to raise my hand, but I know this. Powdered root of...mixed with an infusion of...oh, what's it called...Ah, Draught of Living Death. Powerful sleeping potion._

Harry, however, didn't know and Snape said, "You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"

_I don't know that one_, Devyn thought, as Hermione shot her hand up again. _Wow, Hermione really read ahead._

This time Harry did answer: "I don't know, sir."

"And what is the difference between Monkshood," Snape continued, "and Wolfsbane?"

Hermione stretched her hand even further towards the ceiling and Devyn thought, with a smile, thinking of her godfather, the werewolf, _Nothing, they are the same plant. _

Unfortunately, Harry couldn't read her mind and said, "I don't know, sir."

"Pity," Snape replied, his tone unmistakably disdainful. "Clearly, fame isn't everything. Is it, Mr. Potter?"

Malfoy smiled gleefully and Devyn glared at Snape. _He's famous for surviving Voldemort's attack. He's famous because his parents were murdered and he survived. How can you think that he enjoys the fame?_

Snape then went back to his podium and Harry glared at him every now and then for the rest of the lesson.

* * *

"Harry! Harry, wait up!"

Devyn ran after Harry, Neville and Hermione close on her tail. Harry turned and he and Ron waited for them, although Ron groaned when he saw Hermione. She ignored him for the most part and so Devyn let it go unnoticed.

"Hey, Devyn," Harry said, a somewhat irritated look on his face.

"Hey. Listen, what Snape said back there...he was seriously out of order."

Harry shrugged as Neville, Ron, and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"What are you shrugging for? He was wrong to say that. Besides, those questions he asked you, they were way advanced. Like sixth and seventh year, advanced."

Hermione said, "She's right. Those questions were that advanced."

"Then how did you know the answers, Hermione?" Harry asked, still angry.

"Because I read ahead. When I was in Diagon Alley getting my supplies, I read through some of the upper-year's textbooks in the shop."

"And you remembered?" Neville asked. She nodded and blushed a little. Neville then turned to Devyn and said, "And how did you know the answers?"

"Huh?" Devyn said.

"You knew the answers, too. I saw you thinking. I could practically hear your brain whirring."

"O-Oh, um, I read ahead a bit, too, and my godfather told me about the other stuff. I didn't know the second one though. Only the first and the third."

"More than I knew," Neville commented. Harry and Ron walked away after this and the other three started walking too. After all, they had another class to go to. So far, with the exception of Snape, perhaps, Devyn loved Hogwarts.

And then she remembered; she had to write Moony and tell him about her getting sorted and her first day of classes. She shrugged; she'd do it later on, after classes ended for the day.

* * *

**So...what did you think? We have the introduction of yet another wonderful character: Professor Severus Snape! I don't think Devyn likes him too much, do you? And what about Malfoy and Devyn? Please, tell me what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS. **

**AN: Like I said previously, I am hoping to include Neville in more of the adventures that Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and in this story, Devyn) go on. **

**Chapter 17**

It was now Wednesday and the school day had reached its midpoint. Devyn and her friends were sitting in the Great Hall. They had just finished eating lunch and now it was their study period.

Devyn, on her part, was thankful for this because she had gotten some homework from her teachers and just wanted to get it done, so that she didn't have to worry about it later. She wasn't opposed to the idea of homework; she liked school, truly, but there was something else that was more prominent on her mind.

She was wondering how Moony was doing without her. They had really only a month together before she had to leave for Hogwarts, so it wasn't like it had been a big change for Moony, having her gone, but they had also gotten very close during that month. She wished she could see him, but she knew that the chances of that were slim to none.

However, she could write to him and that's what she was planning on doing, after her classes ended for the day. She would sit down, maybe in the Common Room, and write Moony a letter, telling him all about her Sorting and her classes. But she wouldn't just talk about herself for the entire letter; no, she would not.

Although not many eleven-going-on-twelve year old girls wouldn't have concerned themselves with such 'trivial' things as their godfather's well-being, she was not many eleven-going-on-twelve year old girls. She was Devyn, and being her, having lived the life she had, she reckoned, made her a bit more mature than most girls her age.

She wasn't saying that she was as mature as, say, Moony, but she was fairly more mature than the other girls she knew, with the obvious exception of Hermione. If that girl wasn't mature, she didn't know who was.

But, being Devyn, she had been keeping track of the moon cycle. The next full moon wasn't until September 23rd and granted, it had only been three days since they last saw each other, but Devyn couldn't help but worry about him and his transformations when she was so far away. She knew that he had been doing it for many years now, but she also knew that the transformations were painful and if he was missing her immensely, like she wondered if he was, they might be worse than usual. Moony had told her that his inner wolf had already accepted her as his "cub".

Devyn couldn't help but wonder if Moony's inner wolf, and Moony himself, was having a small case of "Empty Nest Syndrome". She doubted it was anything too serious, but she couldn't be sure. And that was why she would be asking Moony how he was doing.

She was sure he was fine, but she needed to be completely, 100% sure that he was. And with that final thought, she turned back to her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, only to have her line of thought interrupted by Seamus, who was sitting across from Neville, who was sitting next to her. He was trying a spell on a glass of water.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum; turn this water into rum," he said. Devyn hadn't the slightest idea why he was trying to turn the water into **rum** of all things, but she minded her own business and didn't say anything. Seamus was nice enough, but he kept glancing at her, as though he was trying to get her attention. She also noticed that when Seamus did this, Neville would also glance up and shift a little as though annoyed. She didn't know what was going on with the two boys.

However, intelligent though she may be, she was not about to delve into the male psyche, which she was sure was a rather confusing thing in itself. She was just about to go back to writing her DADA essay when Neville did it again as Seamus checked his glass of water to see if his spell succeeded, which it did not. After he looked into his glass, shaking his head, he glanced up at Devyn, and Neville, she noticed, frowned a little and shifted in his seat. Seamus then tried again with his spell.

She was going to ask Neville what was up with him, but a millisecond after she opened her mouth, **BOOM!**

Seamus' water had exploded in his face, leaving nothing but smoking goblet and a lot of ash on Seamus' face. The entire Gryffindor table erupted into laughter, and although Devyn tried not to laugh, she couldn't help it: the stunned look on Seamus' face was too funny. The only one not laughing was Hermione, who had been sitting next to Seamus, unfortunately. Luckily, she wasn't hit by the ash like Seamus had been, but she was waving the smoke away with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Are you all right, Seamus?" Hermione asked. Seamus nodded but looked irritated with himself, and he clenched his jaw when he looked at Devyn.

_Maybe he really was trying to impress me. Well, that's nice, but I don't think I would be interested in Seamus in the slightest even if his spell succeeded_, Devyn thought. Of course, she had nothing against Seamus. He seemed like a nice boy and everything, but one, she was not interested in dealing with boys and possible relationships with them and wouldn't be for a couple more years, and two, she was fairly sure that Seamus wasn't her type, even though she wasn't entirely sure what her type actually _was_ or if she even had a type.

It was all very confusing, so Devyn just decided to focus on her homework.

But of course, she was interrupted, infuriatingly, for a third time, this time by the screech of an owl overhead. Down along the table, she heard Ron say, "Ah, mail's here!"

Devyn doubted that she would be getting any mail but she was surprised when an owl landed right in front of her. There were owls flying everywhere overhead, all zooming to the people they had mail for. Devyn saw that Ron caught a newspaper and an owl landed in front of Neville, holding a wrapped box.

She took her letter from the owl's leg as Harry asked to borrow Ron's newspaper, and it ruffled its feathers and flew off. Neville started unwrapping his gift as Devyn opened her letter.

_Dear Devyn,_

_I hope this letter finds you well and happy. How did the Sorting go? I want to hear all about it! And how are your classes? Have you made any new friends? I hope that you are respecting your teachers and working hard. I know you are, though. I'm missing you terribly but I know that it's only been three days since we saw each other last. Write me soon, I think I might actually go insane unless I hear something from you. Be good, as I know you will. Give Neville my best._

_Love, Moony._

_P.S. – Try to look out for Harry, won't you? Something tells me that he doesn't have many friends and I'm sure he will be facing a lot of whispers. After all, he is "The Boy Who Lived". Horrible nickname, I think. I'm sure that you two are the best of friends by now, but still. Look out for him, do it for me. Thank you. I love you._

Devyn smiled at the letter from her godfather, a happy warm feeling encompassing her heart. She should have known that Moony would waste no time in sending her a letter and when she put it safely in her bag, she turned to Neville, who was still unwrapping his gift, and said, "That was a letter from Moony. He wanted me to give you his best. Which would be Moony speak for "Tell Neville I said 'hi'"."

"A letter from _who_?" Neville asked, bewildered. _Of course, _Devyn remembered. _He doesn't know Moony's nickname. Duh._

"Oh, Remus. Moony is his nickname from his school days and it's what I used to call him when I was a baby."

"Oh! So the letter's from Remus. That's nice. I wish Gran would send me a letter. Although she did send me this, although I can't open the bloody thing!"

He did seem to be having some trouble with the box it came in, so Devyn helped him with it. When she got the box open, she handed it back to Neville, who thanked her with a big smile. Devyn rolled her eyes at Neville. _He's so cute,_ she thought, before mentally backhanding herself. _What? No, don't think that! He's my best friend. _

Luckily, Devyn was prevented from following that line of thought any further when the boy called Dean Thomas said, "Hey, look, Neville's got a Remembrall!"

"I read about those!" Hermione said quickly. "If the smoke turns red," which it did, "it means you've forgotten something."

Neville looked at the small, clear ball in his hand, and said, "The only trouble is, I can't remember what I've forgotten."

Devyn laughed and Neville said, "Wonder what it was that I forgot…" This only served to make Devyn laugh harder. However, she stopped laughing when Harry said, "Hey Ron, Devyn, somebody broke into Gringotts."

Devyn was somewhat miffed that Harry didn't include Hermione in this, but her curiosity far out-weighed her annoyance. Devyn nodded her head towards Neville, and looked at Harry. He nodded and said, "Neville, you too, listen to this."

Neville looked over and Devyn said, "Someone's broken into Gringotts." Neville looked shocked but paid attention as Harry started reading the newspaper article about the Gringotts break in.

"Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day."

Devyn let this information sink in as Harry said, "That's odd. That's the vault Hagrid and I went to."

Hermione, who had no doubt been listening in, had a suspicious look on her face, and Devyn was thinking about who would be insane, or maybe inane, enough to break into Gringotts. Neville and Ron looked confused but Harry also looked thoughtful.

Devyn thought about it some more, but she couldn't think of anyone, unless it was maybe one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, that would be truly insane and stupid enough to break into Gringotts. Knowing that she would only drive herself batty trying to figure it out, she instead turned back to her almost done DADA essay.

She had to say, out of all of her classes, DADA and Potions were her favorites. Transfiguration was good, too, but those two were her favorites. Sure, Snape wasn't that nice, but she just ignored him and got on with her work. And Quirrell was by no means a great teacher, but he was good enough. His stuttering got kind of annoying after a while, and he was a little jumpy; but otherwise, he was a perfectly adequate teacher.

Immediately after she finished her essay, she figured that she might as well get her letter done now. She pulled out a spare piece of parchment, grabbed her quill and started writing:

_Dear Moony,_

_I'm loving it here at Hogwarts, but I do miss you, even though we saw each other only a couple days ago. The Sorting went great, but I was so nervous when I sat down on that stool that Professor McGonagall had. And guess what? I'VE BEEN SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR! I'm so happy! I love my classes and everything is going great. Oh, and I've made two new friends, and maybe a third, I don't know. Neville got sorted into Gryffindor with me, along with Harry and a girl named Hermione Granger. Those are my two new friends, although Harry can't really be considered 'new', I guess. The third is Ron Weasley. He wasn't too nice to Hermione, though, so I'm not sure about him yet. Like I said, everything is great. And yes, I will try to keep an eye on Harry, but he's perfectly responsible. I love you, Moony._

_Love, Devyn_

__After she was done writing, she let the ink dry and resolved to send it afterwards.

* * *

On September 12th, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins were standing out on the grounds; they were about to have their first flying lesson. Devyn was excited about this; she really wanted to learn how to fly on a broomstick.

Neville, however, was petrified. He wanted nothing more than to stay on the ground, but unfortunately, Flying Lessons were part of the first year curriculum.

So there they stood, lined up, facing the Slytherins, broomsticks in front of them. Madam Hooch, the teacher, walked down between the lines and said, "Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," they all chimed. Madam Hooch said good afternoon to a few other students before turning around and saying, "Welcome to your first flying lesson! Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on, now, hurry up!"

They did as Madam Hooch said and stepped up the broomsticks. She stuck out her hand in demonstration and said, "Stick your right hand over the broom and say, 'Up'!"

They all said, "Up!" at varying degrees of firmness. Harry's and Devyn's brooms shot up into their hands immediately, and Malfoy soon followed. Neville was having some trouble with his and so were Ron and Hermione.

"Wow," Harry said. Hermione looked at them in annoyed surprise before turning back to her own broomstick.

The students kept commanding their brooms and Madam Hooch said, "With feeling."

One by one, the students got their brooms, but Neville, Ron, and Hermione kept having trouble. Hermione kept saying 'Up' but nothing was happening. It only sort of rolled around. Neville's wasn't doing anything.

But Ron's did. He said, "_**Up**_!" now clearly frustrated with the broom and it flew straight up and whacked him on the nose. He grunted in pain and Harry started laughing. Ron was fine, but he said, "Shut up, Harry" with a smile.

Madam Hooch started walking again and said, "Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it." They did and she continued, "Grip it tight. You don't want to be sliding off the end."

Devyn looked at Neville, who was still quite worried-looking, as Madam Hooch said, "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment and lean forward slightly and touch back down."

Devyn got prepared to start hovering as Madam Hooch said, "On my whistle, three, two…" She blew her whistle, but the only one who went into the air was Neville. He rose up – and didn't stop.

"Mr. Longbottom!" Madam Hooch exclaimed. Devyn realized that Neville wasn't doing this – the broom was. Neville was panicking as he soared higher up. "Down, down!" he begged the broom, but it wouldn't listen. He started flying off, high above them, yelling in fright the entire way. Ron covered his eyes with his hand, but Devyn was horrified and couldn't look away.

If anything happened to Neville…if he fell off the broom from that height, he would be lucky to only make it out with a couple broken bones…it was a horrible thought, but there was also the possibility that something far worse, and far more unfixable could happen to him. If he…well, Devyn wouldn't know what to do.

"Come back down this instant!" Madam Hooch barked. Devyn then said, "He can't! He's panicking, Madam Hooch!"

"Be quiet, you silly girl," she snapped at her, watching Neville's progress carefully. Devyn growled softly; she was only trying to help. _Besides_, she thought viciously, _if Neville could come back down, doesn't she think he would? He never wanted to fly at all, much less end up hundreds of feet in the air! Stupid woman._

Now Neville was thrashing from side to side, making Devyn's heart leap into her throat. "Come on, Neville. Just hold on," she muttered. Neville had to be okay. He had to be.

Her best friend went forward in barrel rolls and came in contact with the side of the castle. His broom's tail and handle alternately smashed into the wall and then he finally came soaring back down. He flew towards them and for one glorious second, Devyn thought that Madam Hooch would stop his progress and get his feet back on the ground – but she didn't. As Neville came screaming out of the sky towards them, Madam Hooch pulled out her wand, but dived out of the way at the last second, and the students scattered, allowing Neville to soar through another part of the castle. Devyn didn't take her eyes off of him for even a second, not that she could stop watching even if she wanted to.

He went through an archway and flew straight up once the broom was clear of the ceiling of the archway, still screaming his poor terrified lungs out. He soared straight towards a statue with a long spear and he went flying off the broom when his cloak caught the spear tip.

Everyone gathered below and looked up at him, with Devyn right at the front. She may have shoved a couple people out of the way, including a pug-faced Slytherin girl named Pansy Parkinson, but she was beyond caring right now. Her best friend was on the verge of being hurt and she was going to be there to catch him when he fell. Not literally catch him, because then they'd both be hurt, but the second that he got back on solid ground she was going to tackle him with a hug.

Neville cried for help, and then his cloak started to rip. He plummeted from the spear to a torch holder and then fell out of his cloak to the hard ground below. Devyn ran forward, not bothered with Hermione's cries to stay back. She knelt down next to Neville and said, "Neville, are you alright? Come on, say something."

Madam Hooch came running forward, shouting at students to get out of the way and helped Neville get up. Neville said, "owowowow," when Madam Hooch touched his wrist, which was dangling, limp.

"Oh, oh, oh dear, it's a broken wrist. Good boy, come on now, up you get."

Neville was still whimpering when Madam Hooch got him up and Devyn saw Malfoy pick up Neville's Remembrall. She would have immediately demanded that he hand it over, but she was too concerned with Neville at the moment. Madam Hooch told her to get back and stay with the other students while she took Neville to the Hospital Wing. Devyn said, "I'm going with him."

"No, you're not. You are to stay here," Madam Hooch said. "Mr. Longbottom will be fine. You stay here."

Devyn knew by the teacher's tone that the conversation was over so she stepped back and said, "I'll see you later, Neville. You'll be alright."

Neville nodded miserably and Madam Hooch started to lead him away, but not before speaking to the class at large. "Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the Hospital Wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch."

And with that Madam Hooch walked off with her injured best friend. Devyn turned around and started walking back to the group when she heard Malfoy say, "Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would've remembered to fall on his fat ass!"

The Slytherins laughed and before they knew it, before she knew it, Devyn had run up to Malfoy, drew her fist back, and let it fly. She got him right in the jaw and he fell over. No one was laughing now.

Seething and shaking with rage, she snarled, "That is the second time you've insulted Neville. Do it again and it'll be more than a punch. Do it again and you'll wish you'd never been born."

Hermione looked shocked, Ron looked impressed, and Harry looked like he was trying not to laugh. Malfoy scrambled to his feet and said, "What's the matter, Murphy? Got a crush on the fat idiot?"

Devyn tried to charge at him again, swearing and screaming at the little bug, but Dean and Seamus ran forward and held her back. She struggled against them while Malfoy backed away a little, looking unnerved.

Devyn knew that she had a nasty temper, but Malfoy deserved it. Nobody talked about Neville like that and got away with it when she was around. No one, especially not that little demon spawn. Besides, she only hit him hard enough to scare him. She doubted there would even be a bruise.

Finally, Devyn stopped raging and Dean and Seamus let go of her, both of them looking like they wished they hadn't stopped her in the first place. Harry stepped forward and said, "Give it here, Malfoy."

Obviously, Harry meant the Remembrall and Malfoy turned around and said, "No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find."

He tossed the Remembrall, caught it, and mounted his broom. "How about on the roof?" he said, as he took off. When he stopped, high above them, he shouted, "What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?"

Devyn glared up at him and Harry got on his own broomstick. Devyn nodded her approval but Hermione stepped forward and said, "Harry, no _way_! You _heard_ what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you don't even know how to fly."

Regardless, Harry ignored her and took off on the broom. "What an idiot," Hermione said. Devyn stalked over to Ron and Hermione, and the Slytherins were watching her warily. When Hermione saw her standing next to her, she said, "Devyn, I can't believe you hit Malfoy! You could get into so much trouble for that! Fighting is against the rules!"

"I don't care, Hermione," Devyn said.

"But, you could be expelled -!" Hermione protested.

"**I don't care**," Devyn repeated, more firmly. Ron stepped forward and said, "I think what you did was brilliant. Malfoy deserved it."

"Thank you, Ron."

"I feel like we sort of got off on the wrong foot on the train. Friends?" he said. Devyn looked at him and said, "Well, all right then. Sure, friends."

She knew that Hermione and Ron would probably have issues with her being friends with the other, but she didn't care. She liked Hermione, and she also kind of liked Ron. They would have to deal with it. She didn't like that Ron was so mean to Hermione, but she wasn't going to condemn the boy forever because of it. He was kind of immature, and Hermione didn't say anything about Ron bothering her, so Devyn wouldn't interfere. She wouldn't let one take her away from the other, but she wouldn't interfere either, unless something serious cropped up.

Ron smiled and the three of them looked up to watch Harry and Malfoy. Harry charged at Malfoy but he dodged it and then Malfoy threw the Remembrall and Harry sped after it at a breakneck speed. He caught it, miraculously, just before it hit the castle wall and narrowly missed smashing into the stone himself.

As he held the glass ball in his hand, he slowly descended back onto the ground. When he landed, all the Gryffindors ran up to him, cheering, and congratulated him. Harry was smiling as people pat him on the back and told him what he had done was "wicked".

But then – "Harry Potter!"

It was McGonagall. "Follow me," she said, looking very stern. Harry turned and gave the Remembrall to Devyn.

"Give this to Neville when you see him," Harry said. Devyn nodded and Harry then walked off, following McGonagall.

Devyn couldn't help but think that Harry was up the creek after this. She sincerely hoped that he wouldn't be expelled.


	18. Chapter 18

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 18**

After Harry walked away with McGonagall, about five minutes after, Madam Hooch came back and dismissed the class. Devyn was worried about Harry. She hoped he hadn't gotten into too much trouble.

So, when they learned they were free to go, she, Hermione, and Ron went immediately up to the Hospital Wing. Ron and Hermione said not a word to one another, but Devyn wasn't surprised by this, and didn't let it bother her. If they didn't want to be friends with one another, Devyn wasn't going to force them.

"Oh, hello, Devyn!"

Devyn looked around and saw Nearly Headless Nick floating out from a wall. She smiled, despite the frustration she still felt for Malfoy. Why would he say that she had a crush on Neville? She didn't! Neville was her best friend and she would defend him to the death if she had to. That's what friends did.

"Hello, Sir Nicholas."

"Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Nick said to her friends. They nodded and said hello.

"So what brings you students to this part of the castle?" Nick asked, conversationally. Hermione actually piped up and said, "We're looking for the Hospital Wing."

"Are you now? Why would that be? Is one of you hurt?" Nick asked, looking genuinely concerned. Devyn shook her head and said, "No, none of us. My friend, Neville, broke his wrist during our first Flying lesson."

"Ah, I see. I thought you might have been hurt, Devyn. I mean, your knuckles are a little bloody."

Looking down in surprise, Devyn saw that Nick was right; her knuckles were a little bloody from when she punched Malfoy. Maybe she had punched him harder than she thought. She flexed her hand and felt no pain.

She shook her head and said, "No, I'm fine."

"Then why are you bleeding, if I may ask?" Nick looked quite interested in the reason so Devyn saw no reason not to tell him.

"Well, Draco Malfoy was making fun of Neville after Madam Hooch left to take him to the Hospital Wing, so I punched him."

"You punched Draco Malfoy?" Nick asked. Ron nodded, smiling widely. "She just charged at him and smacked him."

Nick looked like he wanted to reprimand her but instead he shrugged, causing his head to wobble a little. "I'm sure the Malfoy boy had it coming. Anyway, the Hospital Wing is over that way, down the hall, and straight ahead. Although, if it was only a broken wrist, your friend will probably already be out. Good day to you, Devyn. Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley."

"Thanks, you too, Nick!" Devyn said as the ghost floated off. Hermione looked almost terrified.

"What's up with you, Hermione?" Devyn asked. Hermione said, "It's so odd that you're on speaking terms with him."

"Odd? Why? Nick's a really nice ghost."

"Well, aren't you afraid, talking to him? I mean, he's dead."

"There's nothing to fear from the dead, Hermione. They can't hurt you."

Hermione shrugged and the trio continued to walk the way Nick told them. Sure enough, they arrived in front of the Hospital Wing and entered. Devyn saw Neville sitting on a bed, rubbing his wrist.

"Devyn!" Neville exclaimed when he saw her. "Hi!"

"Hey, Neville. How's your wrist?" she asked, walking up to him. Hermione and Ron chose to hang back, but each were acting as though the other wasn't there

"Oh, fine, Madam Pomfrey just healed it. Didn't take much more than a couple seconds. It's still a little sore, but she said that's to be expected."

"Good. I'm glad you're okay," she said, nodding. Then, without warning, she pulled Neville into a tight hug. Neville seemed shocked, but eventually hugged her back.

When they released each other, Neville smiled and said, "What was that about?"

"You scared the life out of me when you were on that broom. I thought…something horrible might happen. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Nev."

"Oh," Neville said, blushing. "I-I'm sure you'd g-get on fine without me."

"No, I wouldn't. You're my best friend, Neville. Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear?"

Neville nodded, grinning. Then he saw that she had his Remembrall in her hand. And then he saw that her knuckles were bleeding slightly.

"Devyn, what happened?" he asked, taking her hand and examining her knuckles.

"Oh, I punched Malfoy."

"What? Why?"

"He was insulting you, Neville. And he stole your Remembrall, which Harry got back. He got caught by McGonagall for flying, though. I don't know where he is now, or if he's in trouble." Neville looked awfully guilty about that and Devyn said, "Don't look like that. It's not your fault, Neville. But anyway, he told me to give this to you because he knew I would be marching right on up here when the class was dismissed. So, here you go."

Neville said a quiet thank you and took back his Remembrall.

"Seriously, Neville, don't go feeling all sorry. It wasn't your fault. And for all we know, he might not be in trouble."

Neville nodded and then Devyn asked Madam Pomfrey if Neville was okay to leave, which she confirmed. The four of them left and Ron quickly filled Neville in on how exactly Devyn punched Malfoy.

"I can't believe you did that for me, Devyn. And your hand…"

"Don't worry about my hand, Neville. It doesn't hurt. They'll heal in a couple days," Devyn said, smiling at him. "Besides, that's what best friends do for each other."

Neville's smile could lit up the deepest trenches of the ocean, it was so bright. "Thanks, Devyn."

"No problem," Devyn said, putting an arm around his shoulders. Neville returned the gesture and they walked like that for awhile. Then Neville remembered he had homework to do, so he went up to Gryffindor Tower, and Hermione had a study group with a teacher.

So Devyn and Ron went off to find Harry. And find him they did.

"Ron! Devyn! I've been made the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!"

Both of their jaws dropped open and Devyn said, "Are you kidding?"

"No!" Harry said, excitedly.

"That's great, Harry!"

They started walking along with him and Ron said, "Seeker?! But first years never make the House teams. You must be the youngest player in a -"

"-Century," Harry interrupted. "According to McGonagall."

"Hey, well done, Harry, Wood's just told us," said Fred coming up behind them with his twin.

"Fred and George are on the team, too. Beaters," Ron told Harry and Devyn. Devyn said, "Beaters? What do you do?"

"Our job is make sure that you, Harry, don't get bloodied up too bad," George replied. "Can't make any promises of course, rough game, Quidditch."

"Brutal," Fred agreed. "But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally..." he trailed off as they broke off from the three of them, who walked across a courtyard. George grinned and finished his brother's sentence, "But they'll turn up in a month or two!"

Devyn rolled her eyes, sure that the twins were only joking, trying to scare Harry - at least, she hoped. Ron looked at Harry and said, "Oh, go on, Harry. Quidditch is great. Best game there is! And you'll be great, too!"

Devyn nodded her agreement and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hermione jump up from her study group and walk towards them. Harry said, "But I've never even played Quidditch. What if I make a fool of myself?"

Before Devyn or Ron could reply, Hermione said, "You _won't _make a fool of yourself. It's in your blood."

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Devyn asked. Harry looked interested and Ron looked a little miffed that she just joined in on the conversation, but said nothing, thankfully.

"Well, I walking down one of the corridors this past weekend and I saw a trophy case with these Quidditch trophies in it. And then I saw - oh, it's easier to show you, come on!"

* * *

When they finally arrived at this trophy case, Hermione pointed at a plaque that listed different Quidditch players. One of the plaques read, _James Potter, Seeker_.

"Your dad?" Devyn said. Ron's eyes widened and he said, "Whoa. Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too!"

"I-I didn't know," Harry replied, just as stunned as Ron. But Devyn had noticed another name. A different name.

_Michael Murphy, Chaser._

"That's my dad," Devyn whispered.

"What?" Hermione asked. Ron and Harry looked at her and then at Devyn, who repeated herself, a little louder, "That's my dad!" She pointed at the plaque and Hermione gasped.

"Well, if I knew that - I would have - I would have shown you the second I found it! You should have told me that your father played, too!"

"Hermione, I didn't know. I don't even remember my parents," Devyn told her. Hermione flushed and said, "Oh, right. Of course. I - sorry."

"S'fine. Don't worry about it."

_Dad...what else don't I know about you and Mum? Oh, I wish I could remember you!_

But it was no use dwelling on what she could not remember, so she put it in the back of her mind. After a few minutes looking at the trophy case some more, they left and were ascending a staircase when Ron said, "I'm telling you, it's spooky! She knows more about you than you do!"

"Who doesn't?" Harry asked, a dark tone in his voice. It was true. Everyone seemed to know everything about Harry. Or, at the very least, 'The Boy Who Lived'. None of them knew the real Harry.

And then, Devyn nearly lost her balance as the staircase started to move. Ron shouted in surprise and Hermione gasped.

"What's happening?" Harry asked. Devyn racked her brains and said, "The staircases like to change! Remember?"

Happily, the staircase found another point of anchor. In front of them was a door and Harry said, "Let's go this way."

Ron added, "Before the staircase moves again." Devyn nodded wholeheartedly and the four of them got off the stairs and went through the door. Although Devyn didn't want to be on the moving staircase again, she also felt like they shouldn't be there. At all.

The room they entered was dark and shadowed. Devyn could just make out a hump-backed statue that had numerous cobwebs on it through the gloom.

"Does anybody feel like we shouldn't be here?" Ron asked. Devyn raised her hand and Hermione said, "We're not _supposed _to be here. This is the third floor, it's _forbidden_!"

**Whoosh **- A fire suddenly lit up on a stone support and Harry said, "Let's go."

_**Meow!**_

They jumped at the sudden noise behind them and saw the red-eyed, thin as death mangy cat, Mrs. Norris, that belonged to Filch, the ill-tempered caretaker of Hogwarts. Devyn usually liked animals, but Mrs. Norris was an absolutely foul creature and Devyn despised her, as did about 99% of the student body.

"It's Filch's cat!" Hermione cried needlessly.

"And if she's here, Filch can't be far behind!" Devyn said.

"Run!" Harry told them and this was no time to argue, so they all did. They ran as fast as their legs could take them. They saw a door up ahead and Harry said, "Quick, let's hide through that door!"

They booked it to the door and Harry reached in first and tried to open it, but no such luck - it was locked.

"It's locked!" he exclaimed, frustrated.

"That's it - we're done for," Ron whimpered. Hermione rolled her eyes and Devyn, having done some extra reading over the past week, said, "Oh, will you move over!"

"Uh, Devyn, I think I could do that -" Hermione said, but Devyn shushed her and said, "Hermione, now is not the time to show off."

Hermione huffed and Devyn pointed her wand at the door and said, "Alohomora!"

The door unlocked and they all ran in, and Ron shut it tight after he too got in. Then he turned and said, "Alohomora?"

"Yeah. It unlocks stuff," Devyn said, distractedly because of what she saw before her.

"Standard Books of Spells, chapter 7," Hermione informed him. About two seconds later, they heard, "Anyone here, my sweet?" That voice belonged only to Mr. Filch.

"Filch is gone," Hermione told Ron. Now Harry was standing by Devyn, also staring up at what they saw.

"Probably thinks this door is locked," Ron replied. Devyn thought, somewhere in her terrified and yet fascinated mind, that she was happy that they were speaking to one another. Devyn's breathing had become shallow as Hermione said, "It _was_ locked."

"And for good reason," Harry somehow managed to say. Finally, Ron and Hermione saw what they saw. Lying there on the ground in front of them was a massive, terrifying, three-headed dog. The only good thing was, it was sleeping.

"Okay," Devyn finally got her voice back and said, "Nobody panic. It's asleep. Maybe we could just sneak back out quietly."

But just as Devyn made to move, the dog started waking up and then it saw them. It started growling when it registered that they were there and Harry, Ron, and Hermione screamed. Devyn, however, was past screaming. She kept silent and noticed what the others seemingly did not. The enormous three-headed dog that towered above them was standing on, what looked like, a trap door.

_Interesting_, Devyn barely had time to think before she felt Harry's hand on her arm and she was yanked from the room. The four of them just made it out before the dog lunged and had to force the door shut against the one of the dog head's snapping mouth before locking it and stepping away, breathing hard.

Then they ran. They ran as hard and as fast as they could back to Gryffindor Tower. They didn't stop until they finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. They gave the password and burst into the darkened, empty common room - or so they thought it was empty.

"Devyn? Harry, Ron, Hermione? What are you all doing? What's wrong?" Neville must have been waiting up for her, Devyn concluded.

She shook her head and sank into one of the chairs, clutching at her heart, which felt like it might burst from her chest. The other three did the same and Neville waited patiently for them to catch their breath.

"We...were on...the staircase...when it started to move..." Devyn puffed out, while trying to will her heart and lungs not to seize up on her.

"Okay..." Neville said, clearly not understanding.

Hermione continued, "It stopped in front...of a door...so we went through...it and it turned out to be the third floor..."

"But didn't Dumbledore say that was forbidden?" Neville asked fearfully. Devyn nodded and said, having finally caught her breath, "Yeah. But anyway, we went through, realized where we were, and tried to leave. Only Mrs. Norris was right behind us."

"Oh no," Neville groaned. He knew exactly what that meant.

"Yeah, so we ran. And then we tried to hide through another door but it was locked."

"Devyn unlocked it -" Hermione said.

"-And we ran through. Only there was something far worse than Filch on the other side," Ron continued, having caught his breath.

"What?"

The other three let Harry take point from there. "It was massive, and I mean _massive_, drooling, terrifying, and really mad THREE. HEADED. DOG!"

Neville gasped and fell back into his own seat, clearly shocked.

"A three headed...?" he trailed off as all four nodded at him.

"So we ran right back out of that room and didn't stop running until we got here," Devyn finished.

"I think we should go to bed," Hermione suggested, clearly shaken. They all agreed; as the adrenalin was wearing off, they started to feel just how tired they actually were. When they made it up the stairs, Ron burst out angrily, "What do they think they're doing?! Keep a thing like that locked up in a school?"

Harry and Neville agreed with him but Hermione turned around when they reached the landing. "You don't use your eyes do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads! Or maybe you didn't notice; there were THREE!" Ron retorted.

"Yeah. I'm a dog person, definitely, but that _thing _was terrifying. It didn't even come under the title 'Dog', more like 'Monster'. However, it was standing on a trap door," Devyn said tiredly. Neville said, "Really?"

Devyn nodded and Hermione said, "Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."

That was the conclusion that Devyn had reached too. It was most definitely guarding something.

"Guarding something?" Harry repeated. Neville looked as stunned as them. What could that thing be guarding?

"That's right," Hermione said, stopping in front of the girls' dormitory door. "Now, if you three don't mind," she looked only at Harry, Ron, and Devyn, "I'm going to bed, before any of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or _worse, expelled_."

Devyn blinked, sure she hadn't heard that right. Hermione flounced through the door, leaving Harry, Ron, Neville, and Devyn quite alone. Devyn grumbled once her mind processed what Hermione said. It wasn't like she forced her to go into that room. She didn't plan for this to happen, and neither did Harry nor Ron. And Neville wasn't even involved, but she knew that Hermione hadn't been speaking to him.

Devyn shook her head and hugged Neville good night, as was their custom now, before going towards the door. Just before she went through, she heard Ron say, "She needs to sort out her priorities."

Devyn snorted. That was clearly true. But Devyn had no time to contemplate this. The second that she hit her bed, her lovely, warm bed, she passed out cold.


	19. Chapter 19

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 19**

Devyn, Neville, Hermione, and surprisingly, Ron were sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room on Saturday, talking in low tones about what that dog could have been guarding. They had come in contact with the beast two days ago, and they had no idea what could be that important that it had to have a three-headed dog as its guard.

Neville suggested that Devyn write to Moony and ask him what the dog might be guarding and for a second, she entertained the idea. However, then her logical mind stepped in and put a stop to all consideration of that idea.

"No, I don't think I should do that," Devyn told Neville. "See, normally that would be a good idea, but chances are, Moony won't know what the dog could be guarding – if it _is_ guarding something, which it probably is. And, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to tell him that I nearly got eaten by a three-headed dog."

Neville nodded and said, "I see your point. Okay, well, we'll just have to figure out another way."

"Er, sorry if this is a stupid question," Ron said, "but who's Moony?"

Hermione looked equally confused as Ron and Devyn said, "Oh, he's my godfather. 'Moony' is just his nickname. His real name is Remus."

"Oh, all right then."

Hermione nodded and said, "I've heard you talking about him before. But I never understood who he was. I tried going to the library to look him up in some of the old newspapers and things, but there was nothing about any 'Moony' anywhere."

"Well, I doubt that he would be mentioned by his nickname in the library, Hermione. McGonagall told me that 'Moony' was what Remus was called by his friends at school."

"Oh, well, that would make sense then."

"Hey," Neville said suddenly. "Where's Harry? Shouldn't he be here with us when we're talking about this?"

Devyn turned to him and said, "No, Oliver Wood, the Keeper and Captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team is teaching him the basics of Quidditch. He's telling him what he needs to do as Seeker."

"Oh," Neville said, understanding now. When Neville had found out that his dropping his Remembrall and Malfoy stealing it and Harry getting it back for him hadn't led Harry into trouble, but into a spot on the Quidditch Team as a first year, he had been happy, but also shocked.

Devyn and Hermione knew very little about Quidditch, and therefore didn't understand how much skill was involved in the sport, but Ron and Neville, having grown up with these things being common knowledge, were in awe, even still, that Harry had been made Seeker.

After that, they went back to talking about what could be under that trap door, but Devyn stopped partaking in the conversation. Her mind had started to piece a couple things together. Dumbledore had told them to stay out of the third floor corridor, unless they had a death wish and the reason for that was pretty clear, but what if there was an underlying reason as well? If the dog was guarding something, which Devyn was sure that it was; what if what it was guarding was dangerous, or valuable, or both? Dumbledore obviously wouldn't want kids snooping around and finding it accidentally. Or maybe there was someone else that was after it? Maybe it wasn't the students he was protecting whatever it was from.

And then Gringotts had been robbed. Nothing had been taken from the vault – what was it…713 – and Harry said that that vault was the one that he and Hagrid visited. The newspaper article mentioned that the vault had been emptied that same day, presumably by Hagrid. So, clearly, someone was after whatever was in that vault…and whatever was in the vault could be under the trap door!

When Devyn shared these thoughts with her friends, Hermione agreed with her right off.

"Yes, I'd been wondering that, too. I think you're right, Devyn. I think whatever was in the vault is underneath the trap door."

"How the bloody hell did you piece that together, Devyn?" Ron asked, looking shocked. Devyn merely shrugged and said, "I'm good with logic, I guess."

Ron was still looking shocked and turned to Neville, as though wishing for some back-up on the point he was trying to make, which Devyn wasn't too sure about. However, Neville looked like he was in deep thought.

"Okay," Neville finally said, slowly. "So whatever was in the vault is under the trap door. But what is it?"

"That, Neville," Devyn said, sinking back into her very comfy chair, "is the million-dollar – should I say Galleon – question."

The thing was, as smart as she was, Devyn hadn't the foggiest idea what was being guarded by the three-headed dog.

* * *

The next week, on Thursday, was Hermione's birthday, which Devyn remembered. Devyn made her a card, but felt bad that that was all she could give her friend. Hermione, however, didn't have any expectations of people either knowing or remembering her birthday, so she was utterly delighted when Devyn presented her with the card. She was nearly in tears when Neville came shuffling forward with his card that he made her.

Harry hadn't remembered it, so he didn't make her a card or anything, but he saw Devyn and Neville wishing her a happy birthday and did the same before walking off with Ron, who made no effort to wish her a happy, or at least decent, birthday, to no one's surprise. Hermione seemed to be in too good spirits to let Ron get to her, and Devyn had stopped caring about Ron's issue with Hermione after Ron offered the branch of friendship to her after she punched Malfoy.

On the subject of the blonde annoyance, Malfoy hadn't really bothered Devyn since that day. He still sneered at her in the hallways, which was only expected, but he also seemed a little frightened of her. Devyn never wanted anyone to fear her, but if that was what it took to get Malfoy to leave her be, then so be it.

However, just because Malfoy left Devyn alone, that didn't mean that he stopped bothering Neville, and Harry, and Hermione when she wasn't around and sometimes even when she was around. Sometimes, she'd let it go, especially in Harry's case, because he could look out for himself. But, most of the time, she'd only have to raise her fist and glare at him to make Malfoy run away. Neville and Hermione, needless to say, were grateful for her protection.

She'd only said this as a response: "Nobody messes with my friends."

And, of course, Devyn had been keeping up a regular correspondence with Moony, which pleased both of them greatly. Although it was still only the first month of school, Devyn missed her godfather by the bucket loads and Moony told her that he felt the same. He also usually asked how Harry was, and how Neville was.

He was completely surprised and ecstatic to learn that Harry had become Seeker; however, he wasn't surprised that he had the talent that he did. Apparently, Harry's dad, James, Moony told her, was a natural on the broomstick as well. He also told her that her dad was an excellent Chaser and sort of implied that Devyn should try out for Chaser when the spot opened up – if it opened up.

She had only one response to that: "I don't think that Quidditch is for me. I'm not athletic by any stretch of the imagination. I'd rather watch."

Moony said no more on the subject after that, which Devyn was happy about. She was glad that she had a form of communication between her and Moony, but she still missed him greatly. She was seriously considering going home for Christmas, but she still wasn't sure.

* * *

Just over a month later was October 20th, Devyn's birthday. She was very happy when Hermione and Neville each presented her with cards for her. Hermione's was simple: it wished her a happy twelfth birthday, but contained a P.S. that thanked Devyn profusely for being such a good friend to her.

Devyn responded to the thanks with a hug. She had come to love Hermione like something of a sister and was touched by the sentiment.

Neville's was only a bit more than Hermione's had been; his card said that she deserved the very best of birthdays and that she meant the world to him, even if she didn't know it. On Neville's, there was also a P.S.: _You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, Devyn. Happy twelfth birthday, I love you._

Devyn almost started crying when she read Neville's P.S. and hugged him very tightly. She had never gotten birthday cards before, and these meant the world to her. Another surprise popped up when both Harry and Ron (although she suspected that Neville tipped them off) wished her a happy birthday not long after she got her cards.

But the biggest surprise came at breakfast that day, when the mail arrived. An owl landed in front of her, holding an envelope attached to a small package. This turned out to be from Moony. She opened the envelope and read the card:

_Dear Devyn,_

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE! I hope it is the best birthday you've ever had. I also hope that you like your present. It took me forever to figure out what to get you, so I really hope you like it. Anyway, I hope you have an amazing birthday. Twelve already…I'm getting old! Just kidding! Seriously though, I can't believe you're twelve. Feels like only yesterday that I held you just a little while after you were born and I was named your godfather, AKA, luckiest guy in the world. Anyway, I just want you to know that I love you and I miss you terribly. Have a happy birthday, kiddo!_

_Love you so much,_

_Moony_

Devyn rubbed at her eyes furiously after she read the letter, trying to get rid of the tears in her eyes. Neville smiled and patted her hand, as though trying to comfort her. Devyn never really knew what it was like to be loved, so to have these people that meant everything to her, show that she was loved meant more than words could express.

She reached for the box that the envelope came attached to and opened it up to find a lovely necklace inside. It was in the shape of a crescent moon. The moon's outline was silver, but the inside of the moon was made of something that was white and shiny. It was beautiful, it became even more so when Devyn noticed the small dark blue stone that was attached to the top point of the moon. It was so gorgeous and Devyn noticed that the stone had the appearance that there were tiny stars inside it. That was completely improbable, but the effect was wonderful nonetheless.

Devyn knew from that day forward, she would cherish it forever. She picked up the small piece of paper that was in the box and saw that Moony's handwriting adorned it.

_Devyn, _

_I know you're wondering what the necklace is made of, so I'll tell you. The shiny white stone that the moon is made out of is moonstone. And the blue stone up at the top is a Lightning Ridge Opal. The Opal is your birthstone; I checked something like five times just to make sure. I hope you like it._

_Love, _

_Moony_

Devyn gaped at the beauty of the necklace. _Moonstone and Opal; wow, it's so beautiful. I love it!_

She quickly put the necklace on and it gently rested on her shirt. Devyn could hardly believe that Moony got her something so incredible.

"Wow," Hermione said. "It's beautiful, Devyn. Was it from Remus?"

Devyn nodded and Neville said, "Well, that sure blows our cards right out of the water." He almost sounded upset.

"Neville," Devyn said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love your cards. I really do. They mean just as much to me as this necklace does. Know why?"

"No," he answered, truthfully. Devyn rolled her eyes and she saw Hermione giggle silently.

"Because, my dear friend, it came from you."

Neville tried not to smile but failed completely. "Okay…"

Devyn beamed at Neville and then took out a piece of parchment and started writing to Moony.

_Dear Moony,_

_I can't even tell you how much I love my necklace. It's so beautiful, Moony. I love it so much. I miss you so much, but now I have the necklace as a sort of connection to you, other than these letters. Things are going great, I assure you. I'm keeping out of trouble and I do all my homework. Potions Class is really hard, but fun. Defense against the Dark Arts is still my favorite, although now we're learning how to levitate things in Charms Class. Professor Flitwick says that we should be able to levitate things stably by Halloween. Of course, Hermione and I are really the only ones making progress. I tried Wingardium Leviosa in Ollivander's Wand Shop when I went to Diagon Alley and I did it, so it isn't too hard. Neville's doing good and Harry is, as well. He has Quidditch practice three times a week now. It's a wonder that he gets anything done, to be honest._

_Yes, I'm still looking out for him, like you asked, but there really isn't much looking out to do. Anyway, I hope everything is well with you. I really do love my necklace, thank you so much, Moony. I love you and I miss you, too._

_Love, _

_Devyn_

Satisfied with her letter, she rolled it up and tied it with some string. She put it in her bag to mail it later and finished her breakfast before heading off to Charms Class.


	20. Chapter 20

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 20**

"BOO!"

"AHH!"

_**CRASH**_.

Devyn looked away from her book to see Neville on the floor next to her in front of the Common Room fire.

"Uh, Nev, what are you doing?"

He got up, his face red, and he glared at someone behind them. Devyn stood up and saw Ron howling with laughter on the floor, Seamus, Dean, and Harry doing the same while leaning up against the stairs. Hermione was sitting on a chair looking quite annoyed with the lot of them.

"He j-just jumped o-out at me and yelled 'Boo' at me! And I backed up and fell over the couch onto the f-floor!"

Neville was quite angry with Ron; this was much was quite clear.

"O-Oh, come on, Neville, it was o-only a joke!" Ron protested, still laughing, but no longer on the floor. Devyn sighed and put away her book. "Besides, it's Halloween!"

"Yeah, so what? That g-gives you the r-right to scare people?"

"Well, yeah!" the red-head replied. Devyn pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "Ron, come on."

"What?" Ron said. He looked disgruntled that Devyn didn't understand the hilarity of his prank. If it were anyone else, she probably would have found it funny, but this was Neville. The poor boy was bothered enough by the Slytherins; he didn't need it from his own housemates, too.

"Look, I know that you didn't mean any harm, but just…ugh, just, save it for the Slytherins, okay?"

Ron started smiling quite mischievously and nodded before walking over to Harry. Devyn shook her head in amusement – she had, despite herself, become rather fond of the ginger. She had also gotten closer to Harry, and she wondered how he was dealing with Halloween. After all, his parents were murdered on October 31st, although it was possible that he didn't know that. In fact, the only reason _she _knew this was because Hermione told her. Hermione, as it turned out, had done some research on both her and Harry, because their parents' murders were both important factors in the First Wizarding War; Michael and Victoria Murphy's murders landed Antonin Dolohov in Azkaban and put Bellatrix Lestrange in the sights of the Ministry for the first time in years; and James and Lily Potter's murders had destroyed Voldemort, which was a no brainer for anyone in the Wizarding World.

At any rate, Harry seemed to be doing fine, but she had quickly found out that Harry didn't really show it when he had a problem. He tended, she realized, to hide his troubles from others, something that sometimes worried Devyn.

She would have asked him how he was dealing with this sad day, but she didn't want to drag up bad memories for him, nor did she want to ruin Halloween for him if he didn't know about it. She was also wondering how Moony was doing; James and Lily were, after all, two of his best friends.

Clearing her head of these thoughts, Devyn turned to Neville, who looked much calmer now. "Come on," he said. "We've got Charms."

Devyn nodded and within seconds, Hermione was by their side and they walked out.

* * *

"One of wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation – the ability to make objects fly," Professor Flitwick was telling them. The little wizard was standing on a huge pile of books in order to be seen by all the students.

Devyn was sitting next to Neville, who was next to Hermione, who had Ron on her other side. Harry was next to Seamus down the row a little bit.

"Uh, do you all have your feathers?" Flitwick asked them. Hermione was the only one who responded; she raised her feather up and nodded. Ron, who was resting his head on his books, looked sideways at Hermione, and Devyn could only imagine the thoughts that were running through his head. None of them, she was sure, were very nice.

"Good," Flitwick said. "Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing – the swish and flick. Everyone?" he continued cheerfully. Sometimes, like today, Devyn thought he was too cheery. It simply wasn't natural for someone to be that happy.

The entire class chanted while moving their wands: "Swish and Flick".

"And enunciate – Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then," Flitwick said, finally letting them get on with it. Devyn pointed her wand at her feather and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." By this time, she knew that she would be able to do it straight off. She'd been practicing on pillows and the occasional heavy textbook when she was bored.

And she wasn't disappointed; the second the words left her mouth, her feather lifted into the air and she kept it levitated for a few seconds before letting it down. Professor Flitwick came over to her and congratulated her on having successfully levitated her feather. She smiled and thanked him and Professor Flitwick said, "You know, I'm not surprised you grasped this so quickly. Your father was wonderful at Charms. An absolute natural and I won't be shocked if you've inherited it from him. Oh, and five points to Gryffindor House, I think."

Devyn smiled, always happy to hear about her parents, even if she heard more about her father than her mother, and happy that she earned some points for her house. Flitwick looked at Neville, who tried to do the spell too, although he wasn't quite as successful. His feather did twitch a little though.

Neville looked utterly dismayed and Flitwick encouraged him to keep trying. Devyn said, "Don't worry about it, Neville. Try again."

He did it again, but wasn't any more successful than the last time. He looked agitated with himself and said, "Why are you even friends with me? I'm hopeless. And you, you're brilliant!"

"Neville, don't start this again."

"No, seriously. I don't understand. Hermione, I get. You two are geniuses. Harry, sure. You and Harry were friends when you were babies. But me…I'm nothing."

"Will you stop? Neville, I am friends with you, because I like you. No, because I love you. Nev, you're my best friend and you always will be. Okay? Just because you're haven't levitated your feather on the _first_ _try_, doesn't mean that you're hopeless!"

"But I am," he insisted, his ears going pink. They had burned bright red when she said she loved him. For about the fiftieth time this month, Devyn thought that was very cute, but quite unnecessary. "I am hopeless. I can't do Charms, I can't do Potions –"

"-yeah, well, Snape doesn't help matters, though, does he?"

"I can't transfigure anything to save my life, I can't fly a broomstick, I can't do the Leg-Locker Curse that Quirrell told us about and I can't read the bloody stars in Astronomy. I can't do _anything_!"

"That isn't true," Devyn said quietly. "As far as school is concerned, who cares? And you know what? You're good at Herbology. You're brilliant at Herbology."

Neville shrugged, like he didn't want to admit it. "You are!" Devyn insisted. "Like I said, as far as school goes, who bloody cares? There are more important things, like being kind, which you're good at; like being trustworthy, which you are; like being able to cheer anyone up, regardless of how much they want to cry, which you can do. You can do those things and so much more, Neville. You are so much more than you realize. Than anyone realizes."

Neville smiled and nodded. "Now, try again, Neville. You can do this! I know you can."

Neville took a deep breath and said, "Okay. Okay. Wingardium Leviosa!"

And then, Devyn was happy to see, the feather floated gently up for a second and then fell back down. "You did it, Neville!"

Devyn gave him a sideways hug and Neville returned it happily. She was so proud of him! Neville grinned and then set himself to keep trying to improve and keep the feather up for longer. Meanwhile, Devyn took to watching the other students while keeping her own feather in the air. She saw Ron trying to cast the spell, but failing miserably and waving his wand so hard that it was likely to fly out of his hand in a moment.

Hermione looked concerned and put out a hand to stop him. "Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar."

Devyn winced at Hermione's tone. _There are better ways to go about helping him, Hermione_, she thought. However, she wasn't wrong; Ron was in fact saying, "Wingardrium Leviosar."

"Well, you do it then, if you're so clever. Go on, go on."

Hermione squared her shoulders and said, "Wingardium Leviosa," swishing and flicking her wand perfectly. Devyn raised her eyebrows, impressed. Not surprised, but impressed. Predictably, the feather floated up and basically everyone stopped to watch the feather's progress up to the ceiling. Devyn, had she been competitive, would have pointed out that she did the spell first, but she didn't. Besides, Hermione's feather went higher than Devyn's.

"Oh, well done!" exclaimed Flitwick. Ron grumped and put his head back on his books as Flitwick said, "See here, everyone, Ms. Granger's done it! Splendid!"

"Wingard Leviosa, Wingard Leviosa," Seamus said. Devyn at once realized that the result would not be good, and she was proved right when Seamus tried again and his feather exploded, literally.

Poor Professor Flitwick shouted in surprise and nearly toppled off his books. Everyone looked straight at Seamus in shock; no one was aware that that could even happen. However, leave it to Seamus to figure out a way to explode a feather.

A couple of students giggled when the smoke and light cleared, leaving Seamus with ash on his face, his hair standing straight up and a very stunned look on his face. Harry, having been unfortunate enough to sit next to Seamus, also had some ash on his face.

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor," Harry said, also stunned as he watched the burnt feather float pathetically back to the table. Devyn snorted softly at Harry's humor and kept focusing on her own feather for the rest of the class.

* * *

Devyn and Neville were walking out into one of the many courtyards with Ron, Harry, Dean, and Seamus after Charms Class. They would have been walking with Hermione, but she told them to go ahead, because she wanted to talk to Flitwick about something.

Devyn had shrugged and offered to wait for her, but Hermione insisted that they go, because their lessons were over for the day, as it was Halloween.

So they were walking with Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus. Devyn had sort of spaced out, but came crashing back to earth when she heard Ron say, "'It's Leviosa, not Leviosar'" in a very mocking tone of voice. Everyone but Devyn and Neville laughed and she had a awful feeling who Ron was mocking and she didn't like it, **not one bit**.

"She's a nightmare, honestly. It's no wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Ron said. Devyn was about to tell Ron off when Hermione went hurtling by, slamming into Ron's shoulder as she did, crying. Devyn felt her anger start to climb to the surface, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"I think she heard you," Harry said. And that did it.

"Of course she heard him, Harry! What is wrong with you, Ron?! She was only trying to help you! Yes, all right, there could have been a better way of going about it, but you don't have to make fun of her! Besides, you should have seen what you were trying to do! You looked like you were attempting to beat up your feather with your wand!"

Ron looked offended but Devyn was on a roll. "How would you like it, if I went around mocking you for the idiotic way you tried to cast that spell? Huh? Would you like it?"

"No," Ron said in a small voice.

"No! Of course not! So don't do it to her! And now, if you're done being immature, I'm going after _my friend_, to make sure she's alright!"

And with that, Devyn ran off, leaving everyone behind, looking for the bushy head of hair she knew to be Hermione's.


	21. Chapter 21

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 21**

"Hermione! Hermione, hold on a minute!"

Devyn was running as fast as she could after her friend, but she wasn't quick enough. Hermione had been swallowed by the crowd and Devyn couldn't see her anywhere. Devyn cursed, but looked wildly around to see if she could catch a glimpse of her.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here, boys. It's Little Miss Punch-A-Lot."

Devyn closed her eyes at the sound of the annoying drawling voice, but turned around to face him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"I want an apology."

"For what?" Devyn asked, thoroughly annoyed with him already.

"For punching me!" he stated angrily.

"Oh, really? No," Devyn told him. Her voice clearly spoke of the intention of ending the conversation, but Malfoy obviously didn't get it, because he sneered and kept talking.

"Who are you looking for? Your friends ditch you already? Can't blame them, really, if they did," Malfoy said. Devyn growled and said, "It is none of your business who I'm looking for, Malfoy. Just bugger off, will you?"

But he kept talking. "You should have left with me while you still could have, Murphy. You're pureblood; you'd be treated like a queen in my family."

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," Devyn said, trying to dispel the nausea she felt whenever Malfoy showed up. "And besides, didn't I tell you before that if you ever insinuated the two of us being together ever again, you'd regret it? I've already punched you once before, Malfoy; I have no worries about doing it again."

Malfoy looked like he was about to retort but Devyn cut across him. "Look, I don't have time for you right now – or at any time in the foreseeable future."

And with that, she walked away, wishing she had punched him again. However, she was glad she didn't, because about five seconds after she walked away from Malfoy, Snape came walking by. Had she stayed any longer, she probably would have punched Malfoy and then Snape would have caught her.

She wasn't afraid of Snape, but she really didn't fancy being caught hurting one of his precious Slytherins by the Head of Slytherin House himself.

Unfortunately, because Malfoy had slowed her down, she had even less of an idea where Hermione had run off to now. Cursing the blonde nuisance in her mind, she looked around for anyone who might have seen Hermione running by.

She saw a flash of red hair and thought for a moment that Ron had followed her – but it wasn't Ron, it was Fred. She honestly wasn't even sure how she could tell them apart, and she wasn't even sure that that was Fred, but she took a chance.

"Hey, Fred!"

He turned around and saw her. He smiled and said, "Hello, hello. What I can do for you? Hey, aren't you that girl that's always hanging around Neville Longbottom? Devyn, right?"

"Yes, that's me. Listen, you haven't seen Hermione Granger, have you?"

"Hermione Granger, hmm, let me think. Is she about your height? With bushy hair and large front teeth?"

"Yes, that's her!" Devyn got excited, thinking that Fred had actually seen her. However her excitement turned into extreme frustration when Fred said, "No, sorry, I haven't seen anyone like that."

She would have screamed in frustration if Nearly Headless Nick hadn't been floating by at that exact moment.

"Devyn, you're looking for Hermione Granger?"

"Yes!" Devyn exclaimed, thankful that maybe someone would be able to help her. Fred obviously could sense that his 'help' was no longer needed so he walked away.

"Well, I saw her running that way only a few seconds ago. I think she ran into the bathroom down there," Nick told her.

"Thank you, Sir Nicholas! I owe you!" she shouted as she ran off as Nick said, "Nonsense! I'm always happy to help, Devyn!"

She shot Nick a grateful smile and kept running, looking for the bathroom that Nick told her about. She nearly ran past it and had to skid to stop herself, and nearly fell over in the process.

"She must really need the loo," Devyn heard someone say as they passed her. She shook her head and ignored the person and entered the bathroom. It was completely empty and silent except for the occasional sniff coming from one of the stalls.

Sighing in relief, she walked forward – she had found Hermione.

* * *

"Hermione," Devyn said, leaning up against one of the stall barriers. Hermione was inside the stall next to her, crying her eyes out over that silly ginger, Ron Weasley.

"Go away, Devyn," Hermione replied, her voice shaking. Devyn slumped her shoulders and said, "No."

"Just go. Please just go away."

"Nope. I'm not going anywhere."

"Why?" Hermione asked after a few minutes of silence, her voice still shaky, but not as much as before.

"Why _what_, Hermione?" she replied.

"Why won't you just leave? Everyone else does."

"I'm not everyone else. Besides, I'm not leaving because you're my friend and you're hurting. You don't need to be alone right now."

A few more minutes of silence followed and Hermione said, "Are you still there?"

Devyn smiled to herself and said, "Yeah, Hermione, I'm still here. Now, will you come out of that stall?"

"No," Hermione said stubbornly. Devyn nodded and said, "Fair enough. Okay, then, can I come in?"

"What?"

"Hermione, that stall is big enough to fit two twelve year olds. Please, just let me in."

Silence. A few more sniffs. "...Okay," Hermione said. She opened the door and Devyn's heart went out to the girl before her. Hermione had tears pouring down her face and her brown eyes were red. She looked likely to burst out into tears at any moment. Devyn stepped inside and Hermione shut the door.

Luckily, Devyn had been right; the stall was big enough to comfortably accommodate two people. They both had plenty of room. However, that was not what was concerning Devyn at the moment. Right now, she couldn't care less about her own personal space at the moment; right now, Hermione needed a hug.

Which was what Devyn gave her. Within two seconds, Hermione started sobbing her heart out on Devyn's shoulder.

She honestly couldn't tell anyone how long they had stood there like that; one releasing all the hurt she felt through her tears, one holding her friend, feeling anger at Ron on Hermione's behalf.

It could have been seconds, minutes, or hours; Devyn literally wouldn't be able to tell you, although she could tell you that it was thundering and lightning outside. Devyn was quite aware that she was missing the Halloween Feast, but she didn't care. She wasn't all that hungry and Hermione needed her right now.

When Hermione finally composed herself and lifted her head off Devyn's shoulder, she smiled and said, "Sorry for crying all over you."

Devyn waved her hand dismissively and said, "Hermione, don't even worry about it. We're friends. That's what friends are for. And don't listen to that no-nothing twit Ron Weasley. He's only jealous of your amazing skills."

Hermione giggled and then said, "I thought that you and Ron were friends?"

"Sort of, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let him get away with making fun of you."

"Thank you, Devyn. I mean it. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hermione," Devyn said, with a smile. "Now come on, let's get out of here."

Hermione opened the door and wiped her eyes while looking at the floor. Suddenly she stopped short and looked up. Curious, Devyn sidestepped Hermione and looked up, too.

Only two words came into her mind: "Oh, bollocks."

In front of them was a huge, ugly, really stupid-looking creature. Devyn had no idea what it could possibly be, but she didn't like it. Hermione and Devyn backed away, both terrified. Hermione looked close to panicking, but Devyn was remaining calm. She was scared, petrified actually, but she was oddly calm.

As they backed away, the thing came lumbering in and for the first time, Devyn saw that it was holding a large club. They backed into the stall barrier and Hermione dashed into one of the stalls, which was, in hindsight, extremely stupid; Devyn, on the other hand, ran for it. She ran to the other side of the bathroom, thinking that the creature, which Devyn had now deduced was a Mountain Troll, might follow her and give Hermione a chance to get out, but she was wrong. The Troll was far more interested in the girl that was hiding than the girl that was running away.

The Troll swung its enormous club, crushing the stalls into splinters. Much to her horror, Devyn couldn't see Hermione in the rubble, but then she shifted just as a great bang was heard.

Harry and Ron ran into the bathroom and Harry shouted, "Hermione, MOVE!"

Devyn had never heard greater advice. Apparently neither had Hermione, because she army-crawled into the stalls next to her, but the Troll destroyed those, too. Devyn dashed away from the Troll as Hermione started screaming and joined Harry and Ron, who had just started throwing pieces of broken wood at the Troll.

Unfortunately, the Troll wasn't noticing them, at least until Ron threw a piece of wood, shouting, "HEY, PEA BRAIN!"

The Troll looked away long enough for Hermione to crawl away to under the sinks...which was an even worse place for her to be. The sinks, if they were broken, were far sharper and far more dangerous than the wood from the demolished stalls.

To all of their horror, the Troll saw her move and grunted as he swung at the sink Hermione was under. The sink shattered and water spouted and sprayed from the busted sink. She had moved just in time and shouted, "Help!"

"Hold on, Hermione!" Devyn shouted back. "Just hold on!"

Harry drew his wand and ran at the troll and as he raised his club, Harry jumped and grabbed onto it.

"Whoa!" he shouted as the club was brought up into the air and Harry was flung onto the Troll's shoulders. The creature started making sounds of confusion when it realized that Harry was on its shoulders and Hermione, Devyn, and Ron all stood watching in amazement as the Troll thrashed around, trying to shake Harry off.

"Eugh!" Ron exclaimed, for Harry had just accidentally, or maybe on purpose, stuck his wand up the Troll's nose. Then the Troll tried to snort the wand out, which Devyn couldn't blame it for; having a thin piece of wood up your nose must not be comfortable.

Realizing it could not do this, the Troll got angry and managed to grab Harry's leg and dangle him upside down.

"Do something!" Harry shouted as the Troll swung at Harry's head with the club - and thankfully missed. Looking around confusedly, Ron shouted back, "What?!"

Devyn was doing some fast thinking and had come up with the solution just as Harry shouted, "Anything!" as the Troll swung again and missed again.

Devyn turned to Ron and said, "Do Wingardium Leviosa! Now!"

"What? But, I can't! I can't do the spell! You do it!"

"Ron, Harry is in very real danger right now! Just levitate the club and drop it on the Troll's head! NOW DO THE BLOODY SPELL!"

"Okay!" he relented. Ron pulled out his wand as Harry said, "HURRY UP!" Devyn quite agreed with this sentiment because Harry couldn't dodge the Troll's swings forever.

"Swish and flick," Hermione told him from under the sink. Devyn was tempted to motion to Hermione to crawl out from under the sink, but if she moved, the troll might lose interest in Harry and go after Hermione again.

Ron pointed his wand at the Troll's club and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club was suspended in mid air and the Troll's hand slipped off of it as he tried to swing at Harry again. Highly confused, the Troll looked at his hand and then up at the club, which started to fall. It clonked him on the head.

"Cool," Ron said, as the Troll began to sway and dropped Harry. Devyn rushed forward and pulled Harry up and out of the way as the Troll collapsed, knocked out cold, onto the floor, with an deafening crash. Dust flew up when the creature met the floor and they all coughed and tried to clear the dust away.

The four of them gathered around the Troll and Hermione said, "Is it...dead?"

"No," Devyn replied. "It's just knocked out. Are you all right, Hermione?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"And you, Harry?" Devyn asked.

"I'm okay."

"Good."

Harry bent down and pulled his wand from the Troll's nose and it grunted. Harry made a noise of disgust and Devyn wrinkled her nose as Harry said, "Troll bogies."

Harry stepped aside to wipe off his wand when McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell showed up. McGonagall said, "Oh! O-Oh...oh my goodness!" when she saw the Troll.

"Explain yourselves, the three of you!" she fumed when she laid eyes on Ron, Devyn, and Harry. Devyn was about to start protesting that she hadn't led the Troll in here, and Harry and Ron started stuttering, trying to explain when Hermione stepped forward and said, "It's my fault, Professor McGonagall."

Even Snape looked astonished with this turn of events. Harry and Ron looked at each other in amazement, but Devyn was watching Quirrell. For a guy who was always jumpy and twitchy, he was oddly calm now. Devyn would have thought that this would have shaken him to the core.

"Wha -? Miss Granger?" McGonagall said faintly.

"I went looking for the Troll. I've read about them and thought I could handle it," Hermione lied. "But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me, I'd probably be dead."

"And what about you, Miss Murphy?" Snape asked, turning to her. Devyn noticed that his leg was bleeding and his pant leg was torn. _What's that about?_

"What?" she asked.

"Miss Granger just told us that Misters Weasley and Potter came and found her. She said nothing about you, however. So where do _you_ come into all of this?"

Devyn took a deep breath and was about to answer when Hermione said, "Devyn was with me."

"You went looking for the Troll as well?" McGonagall said, looking shocked.

"No!" Devyn exclaimed.

"She was trying to stop me going after the Troll," Hermione said.

"But she wouldn't listen," Devyn continued, "so I went looking for help and found Harry and Ron. By the time that we found Hermione again, she was in here and the Troll was advancing on her. If we hadn't acted when she did, Hermione would be dead, no question about it."

Hermione, Harry, and Ron all nodded, to confirm her story, and only Snape looked suspicious. But by this time, Harry also noticed Snape's leg and stared at it. Unfortunately, Snape saw him looking and quickly covered up his leg with his robe, glaring at Harry.

McGonagall, still looking at Hermione, said, "Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part and I am very disappointed in you, Miss Granger."

Hermione bowed her head and McGonagall said, "Five points will be taken from Gryffindor, for your serious lack of judgment."

McGonagall looked at Harry, Ron, and Devyn and said, "As for you three, I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first year students could take on a fully grown Mountain Troll and live to tell the tale! Five points...will be awarded to each of you."

The three of them grinned at each other and Hermione allowed herself a small smile. McGonagall drew her robes around her before leaving and said, "For sheer dumb luck!"

She and Snape left and Quirrell beckoned at the four of them. "Perhaps we ought to go. It might wake up."

Devyn was the last to leave and she saw Quirrell jump as the Troll roared, which Devyn supposed was a sign of it returning to consciousness. That was completely normal for Quirrell, but what was suspicious was that after he jumped, he became quite calm and glared at the Troll.

Devyn thought this was very odd, but decided not to worry about it right now. She was far too tired. When she caught up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they were chatting animatedly.

"So, are we all friends now? I mean, you can't fight a Mountain Troll and not be friends afterwards!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all nodded and Devyn said, "YES! FINALLY!"

She ran forward, past them, laughing madly.

"There's something wrong with you, Devyn!" Ron called, laughing himself.

"YES THERE IS!" she shouted happily. She might have been acting like a crazy person, but she was glad that her friends were all actually friends with each other now.

But then a question popped into her mind: _Why was Snape's leg all bloody?_


	22. Chapter 22

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 22**

Devyn, Neville, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting at breakfast the next day, trying to encourage Harry to eat something. Today was Harry's first Quidditch match, and it was obvious that he was nervous.

Personally, Devyn thought that Ron and Hermione were fighting a pointless battle, trying to get Harry to eat. The poor boy looked like he was about to face the gallows instead of playing a Quidditch game.

Besides, he was just twirling his ham on his fork, not eating. It wasn't going to happen.

"Take a bit of toast, mate, go on," Ron prompted. Devyn looked at Neville and they both shook their heads, realizing that it simply would not happen.

"Ron's right, Harry. You're going to need your strength today," Hermione said.

"I'm not hungry," Harry said. Devyn realized that Harry did in fact need his strength, but he would probably make matters worse for himself if he forced himself to eat. And Devyn was fairly sure that Harry knew this also.

Hermione looked like she was about to protest when Devyn said, "Leave him be, Hermione. If he doesn't want to eat, you can't force him."

Harry looked at her gratefully and Devyn smiled and nodded. Devyn then noticed that Snape had walked up behind Harry, and the rest of their eyes snapped to Snape when he said, "Good luck today, Potter."

Devyn thought that was oddly nice of Snape - which didn't fit him at all. And then - "Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you. Even if it is against Slytherin."

And there was the Snape that they all knew. He was absolutely foul to Harry, for no reason whatsoever. Or at least no reason that the five of them (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and herself) could see.

They all watched him walk away and Devyn and Harry saw that Snape was limping. "That explains the blood," she and Harry said in unison.

"Blood?" Hermione questioned.

"Listen," Harry said quietly. "Last night, I'm guessing Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three headed dog."

"But," Devyn interjected, "he got himself bitten. That's why he's limping."

"But why would anyone go near that dog?" Hermione asked.

Harry said, although Devyn had already pieced this together a while back, "The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the vaults. He said it was Hogwarts' business, very secret."

"So you're saying..." Hermione started. Neville and Ron were looking at the two of them, and Devyn was waiting to see if Harry agreed with what she and Hermione had theorized.

"That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants."

Devyn nodded and said, "Yeah, the four of us were talking about that when Oliver was teaching you how to play Quidditch. That's what Hermione and I were thinking. But now, we have a suspect - Snape. Still, what could he be after?"

_**Screech!**_

They all looked up to see Hedwig, Harry's beautiful snowy owl, carrying a long thin package, which Harry caught when she dropped it. They all put in carefully down on the table and Hermione said, "Bit early for mail, isn't it?"

Harry looked stunned and said, "But I-I never get mail."

Devyn barely had time to think on how sad that sounded. Maybe she would encourage Moony to write Harry as well. She couldn't imagine that he would refuse - he still had her "looking out" for Harry. She was fully convinced that Harry didn't need looking out for. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but Devyn still watched out for him, even though nothing had ever happened...well, except for the troll.

She considered herself (and so did Ron) very lucky that McGonagall didn't write their families. Ron had been fully convinced that if she had, his mother would have sent him a Howler and then pulled him straight out of school.

Devyn, on her part, was not sure what Moony would have done. He would've had a fit, she was sure of that, but other than that, she wasn't sure what he would do. Moony asked her to be careful, but Hermione had been in danger. If they hadn't fought the troll, Hermione might have been dead right now.

"Let's open it," Ron said, bringing Devyn back to the present. Neville looked at Devyn and said, "Are you all right? You looked like you were somewhere else..."

"I'm fine. Just thinking," she said, smiling at Neville. _He is so sweet and thoughtful_, Devyn thought. And then she mentally shook herself. _He's your best friend! Stop thinking this way about him!_

And with that thought, she helped her friends tear open Harry's package. What was inside was a beautiful looking broomstick. And then Devyn remembered that Quidditch was played on broomsticks.

"It's a broomstick!" Harry exclaimed. Ron looked astonished and said, "That's not just a broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!"

Devyn looked at the amazing item - the handle was a shiny warm colored wood and its tail was perfectly trimmed. Devyn thought it was really cool and she could hardly believe that in a little while, Harry would be flying on it.

"But who-?" Harry asked. He and Devyn both looked up at the Head Table and saw McGonagall smiling at them and stroking Hedwig. Harry nodded at her and Devyn grinned at her. This was too cool.

* * *

It was time. They all made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch and said goodbye to Harry, who was looking rather green, when they reached the Gryffindor's changing rooms. Luckily, they had gotten there early enough that they were able to get pretty good spots.

Devyn interlocked her arm with Neville's in excitement and he grinned at her. And then Hagrid showed up.

"Hello, all!" Hagrid said happily. Devyn smiled at the giant man and said, "Hey, Hagrid."

"How's Harry?" he asked. Devyn shrugged and said, "He's nervous, but I think he'll be fine."

"Sure he will. His dad was an incredible Quidditch player. By the sounds of it, Harry seems ter have inherited his dad's talent."

Devyn and Neville both nodded, smiling at Hagrid. While Neville didn't know Hagrid too well, Devyn had been down to see him with Harry and Ron a couple times, and she quickly grew fond of him. Aside from his cooking, which Devyn avoided as much as possible, Hagrid was a wonderful person; he was kind, caring, funny, and wasn't all that surprised when he learned who she was. He barely reacted at all, which Devyn would be forever grateful for. The gasps and eye-widening were kind of funny at first, but after a while, they grew really annoying.

In fact, all Hagrid said was, "Yeah, Dumbledore told me abou' you bein' alive an' all a month before school started. Good ter have yeh back, Devyn. Knew yer parents, quite well, actually. Real nice people, they were."

Bringing her attention back to the present, she heard Fred and George's friend Lee Jordan say, "Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game: Slytherin versus Gryffindor!"

The respective houses erupted into cheers and Devyn and Neville shouted, "Gryffindor!"

The players took up their positions in a circle formation and Lee Jordan, a boy with dreadlocks, announced, "The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game."

Sure enough, Madam Hooch walked out onto the field and stood next to the box which held the Quidditch balls. Devyn could feel her heart pounding as she watched Harry hover there. He really had become a close friend, if not something of a brother, to her, and she really wanted him to do well.

Madam Hooch looked up at the players and said, "Now, I want a nice clean game…from ALL of you." She looked at the Slytherins pointedly as she kicked open the box and the Bludgers flew out. Devyn barely had time to see the Bludgers before they went hurtling off, waiting for the game to begin.

Devyn knew that the Bludgers were Fred and George's responsibilities, and she only hoped that they kept an eye on them as well as they should be.

"The Bludgers are up…followed by the Golden Snitch," Lee Jordan said as the little golden ball with wings flew out of its container. "Remember, the Snitch is worth 150 points. The Seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game."

The Snitch zoomed around Harry and the Slytherin Seeker's head before flying off. Madam Hooch grabbed the large scarlet ball called the Quaffle and threw it up in the air.

"The Quaffle is released – and the game begins!" Lee shouted, and then they were off. Gryffindor took possession of the Quaffle and the girl named Angelina Johnson flew towards the goal posts, threw the ball and –

**DING!**

"Angelina Johnson scores! 10 points for Gryffindor!" Lee exclaimed, very happy.

Up in the air, Devyn saw Harry clap and nearly lose his balance when a Bludger zoomed past him. Devyn cheered as loud as she possibly could along with the rest of her house and Hagrid said, "Well done!"

She found this funny because the teachers weren't really supposed to take sides…but then, Hagrid wasn't a teacher, so she guessed it was no big deal.

Besides, it was too obvious that McGonagall and Snape wanted their Houses to win. They weren't hiding it at all. Lee continued his commentary, saying, "Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint."

Flint looked like he was part Troll to Devyn; she wondered how he ever got to be Quidditch Captain. Didn't that position require smarts and strategic talents, like Wood? It didn't seem that Flint had that.

Flint started dodging people and kicked one of the Gryffindor Chasers away. He tried to score a goal but Wood swooped in and whacked the ball away with his broom. One of the Gryffindor Chasers – Devyn thought it might have been Katie Bell – caught it and flew off. Even from where she was, Devyn could see that Wood was smirking at Flint.

Katie and Angelina started passing the ball between them as they reached the goal posts and then Angelina shot and – SHE SCORED!

The Gryffindors cheered as loud as humanly possible again, Devyn along with them. Dean Thomas was actually waving around Gryffindor flags.

"Another ten points for Gryffindor!" Lee shouted. Hermione clapped and cheered as a few players zoomed past them.

The Slytherins were in possession again, and the one with the ball dodged some Gryffindors, kicked one of them, and tried to score. But, no such luck. Oliver caught the ball before it got in. He threw it to one of the Chasers and they zoomed off.

Flint flew up to one of the Slytherin Beaters and said, "Give me that!" He took the Beater's bat and hit a Bludger at Oliver. He smashed into the middle goal post and hurtled to the ground. Luckily, there was only sand below him instead of cement. Devyn booed the Slytherins when this happened and screamed, "YOU DIRTY CHEATERS! YOU CAN'T ATTACK THE KEEPER LIKE THAT!"

She realized there was no point in screaming at them, but it felt good nonetheless. What got her even angrier was that the Slytherins in the stands were laughing. Now that they had no Keeper, the Gryffindor goal posts were left unprotected, giving the Slytherins the opportunity to score.

Which they did, after one of them jumped over George to do it. The Slytherins in the stands went wild and the Gryffindors booed.

After they scored, Flint pointed to one side of the field and shouted, "TAKE THAT SIDE!" to one of his team members. He obeyed and then they started boxing in Angelina, who was in possession of the Quaffle. They led her straight into the draperies covering the towers and she plummeted to the gravel below, clearly out of the game.

The Slytherins scored again and then something happened. Harry had seen the Snitch. He started to head after it and Devyn crossed her fingers, watching his every move. He ducked a Bludger and continued on his way – but then, his broom started to buck and turn.

"What's goin' on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid asked. Hermione had out her binoculars and was watching Harry. Then she adjusted her sight a little and started looking at the teachers' box. Devyn couldn't imagine what she was looking at – Harry was up in the air – but then she saw that Snape was muttering to himself, not taking his eyes off Harry.

Was he-? No, he couldn't be! Snape wouldn't curse Harry's broomstick, would he?

Hermione moved over to her, Neville, and Ron and said, "It's Snape, he jinxing the broom!"

"Jinxing the broom?!" Ron yelped. "What do we do?!"

"Just leave it to me," Hermione said, and she was off. Devyn, Neville, and Ron had no choice but to keep watching Harry bucking across the sky on his unruly broomstick. He got knocked around some more and then he fell of his broom, hanging on with only one hand. Hagrid gaped and Devyn nearly screamed.

_Please, Hermione. Hurry up. Harry could die if he falls. Come on, Hermione_, Devyn thought desperately. Clearly Ron shared her sentiments because he said, "Come on Hermione!"

Devyn thought it was miracle thus far that Harry hadn't fallen, but he couldn't be expected to hold on forever.

And then she heard one of the teachers shout at Snape, "Fire! You're on fire!"

Devyn smirked and said, "Atta girl, Hermione," as Snape stood up and stamped out the fire, knocking over Professor Quirrell in the process.

Harry's broom stilled and he was able to pull himself back up. He quickly got after the Slytherin Seeker, who was now pursuing the Snitch.

"Go, go, go!" Hagrid shouted. Devyn nodded furiously to herself and then looked at Neville, who looked just as excited and nervous as she was.

Harry caught up to the Slytherin Seeker and rammed into him with his shoulder. The Seeker, who Devyn thought was named Terrence Higgs, rammed Harry right back. They each rammed each other a couple times until Harry was butted out beyond a tower.

He came soaring back and the two of them went into a massive dive after the Snitch. They got closer and closer and closer to the ground until finally Higgs pulled out.

Harry pulled up on his broomstick at the last second, only a couple feet from the ground. The entire crowd was 'ooh'-ing at Harry as he actually stood up on his broom and went flying along after the Snitch. He reached out after the Snitch – but he stepped too far and Devyn yelped when Harry went flying off his broomstick and onto the ground.

He stood up almost immediately, holding his stomach and retching.

"Looks like he's gonna be sick," Hagrid commented. But no, he wasn't sick – he coughed up the Snitch and it landed in his hands and Lee announced, "He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!"

Madam Hooch, on her broomstick, blew her whistle and shouted. "GRYFFINDOR WIN!"

This made the Gryffindors go into their loudest cheering explosion yet and even Hagrid said, "YES!" pumping his fist. Devyn grinned up at him and he winked at her before she turned to Neville, whom she nearly tackled with a hug.

She was so happy – Harry won his first Quidditch match! She couldn't wait to tell Moony about this!


	23. Chapter 23

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

_**AN: Before I start this chapter, I would like to answer a review left by Ali. I understand that it is way too early for the Devyn/Neville stuff. I would like to say: DON'T WORRY. I will not be pairing them any time soon. Right now, it's just Devyn feeling very fond of Neville. And you have to keep in mind that she is 12 years old now. She's going to start having crushes and start liking boys. I know it seems odd, but please bear with me. I will try to keep the pairing elements out of it for awhile. One last thing; thank you for reviewing. **_

_**Actually, thank you to ALL who review this story. It means the world to me.**_

_**Now, on with the chapter.**_

**Chapter 23**

After the match, Devyn, Neville, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were walking about the grounds with Harry. When Hermione confided her belief to both Harry and Hagrid that Snape was jinxing Harry's broom, Harry seemed puzzled and then angry.

"I know he hates me, but that's going too far!" Harry exclaimed. Devyn nodded in agreement and Hagrid said, "Nonsense. Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?"

"Who knows?" Harry told him. "Why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween?"

"Exactly," Devyn chimed in. "What business did he have around that dog?"

"Who told you 'bout Fluffy?" Hagrid asked, alarmed.

"Fluffy?" Ron asked incredulously.

"That thing has a name?" Hermione asked. Devyn arched an eyebrow at the thought of that dog being anyone's pet. Then again, this was Hagrid...and he did have Fang, the oversized boarhound...but Fang and this so-called Fluffy were completely different. Fang wasn't capable of eating them all in one swallow.

"Well, of course he's got a name, he's mine! I bought him off an Irish feller I met down the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"

He cut himself off, which frustrated Devyn to no end. They were just getting somewhere; maybe they would be able to find out what was being guarded by Fluffy.

"Yes?" Devyn prompted Hagrid, wanting to find out more. Hagrid glared at her and said, "Shouldn'ta said that. Don' ask any more questions. Tha's top secret tha' is."

"But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it," Harry said. He sounded kind of whiny to Devyn, which she knew wasn't going to help their case. Neville nodded his agreement, which was the most he had participated in the conversation. Devyn knew her friend would rather listen and take in every bit of his surroundings than argue and possibly miss things.

Devyn thought that was smart. She liked to do the same thing, but unfortunately, she was too stubborn to just sit there and say nothing.

"Codswallop," Hagrid protested. "Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher."

Devyn, and Neville too, apparently, felt this was a very weak argument, because they looked at each other with their eyebrows raised and then back at Hagrid.

Evidently, Hermione felt the same way because she said, "Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Snape wasn't blinking."

"Exactly," Harry agreed. Devyn, however, frowned.

"Guys, I know that Snape was doing something to Harry's broom, but we can't base this theory just off the fact that he wasn't blinking. A lot of the teachers weren't blinking; they were all watching Harry, too scared to look away, in case something happened and he fell off and they weren't paying attention to stop it."

Hagrid looked almost thankful that Devyn was trying to plant some sense in her friends but Devyn then said, "I still think that Snape is trying to get past Fluffy, but I don't think that we can just assume that he was trying to kill Harry."

"Who else would, Devyn?" Ron asked her. "We all know Snape hates Harry."

"Yes, that's true, but still. We can't just _assume_ that he meant to kill Harry."

Hagrid sighed and said, "Now, listen to me, all five of yeh. Yer meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What tha' dog is guardin' is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel."

Devyn's eyes widened and Harry said, "Nicholas Flamel?"

"I shouldn't have said tha'! I should not have said tha'. I should not have tha'," Hagrid said to himself, walking off and leaving them there. Devyn, however, could not have cared less. They finally, _finally_ had another clue as to this whole "what's Fluffy guarding" mystery.

"Nicholas Flamel...who's Nicholas Flamel?" Harry asked, watching Hagrid hurry off.

Devyn was stumped. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she heard it before.

"I don't know," said Hermione.

* * *

On December 9th, McGonagall came around with a list and took the names of the people staying at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays.

Devyn didn't put her name down. She was going home for Christmas - she missed Moony too much. Besides herself, Hermione and Neville were both going home too. They wouldn't be going home until December 23rd, but Devyn didn't care. Just the thought of going home and being with Moony again for a little while made her happier than she thought she had ever been.

She quickly wrote her godfather to tell him that she was coming home and the answer she got back was practically bursting with happiness. It seemed Moony missed her just as much as she missed him.

In the time between Hagrid's slip up with Nicholas Flamel and now, Devyn, Hermione, Neville, Ron, and Harry spent all their free time in the library, searching for anything regarding Nicholas Flamel.

However, they hadn't had any luck in that field. As far as classes were concerned, Devyn and Hermione continued to be at the top of the year, even in Snape's class. More often than not, when Snape came around to criticize their potions, when he reached Devyn's and Hermione's respective cauldrons, he said nothing and scribbled something on his clipboard. This meant he could find nothing to criticize.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Harry, Ron, and Neville. Snape seemed hell-bent on making Harry's life miserable. Now, Harry was no prodigy at Potions, but even when he made an easily fixable mistake, Snape would vanish his potion and give him a zero for the day.

Ron just wasn't cut out for Potions, but he did better than Harry at any rate. Neville, however, had the worst time out of all of them. He was entirely intelligent, but he was terrified of Snape. The overgrown Potions bat sensed that and hovered over Neville almost all Potions class, and bullied him whenever he possibly could.

As it was, Neville nearly had a panic attack every time Potions class rolled around. Devyn, most of the time, had to sit by Neville and stare Snape down whenever he came around to bully him. Of course, that didn't stop Snape, but she had a feeling that it would have been much worse if Devyn hadn't been staring him down.

She had a feeling that Snape knew that she knew exactly what he was doing and backed off a tiny, miniscule bit. Even that was something though.

Transfiguration, Charms, Defense against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy were going perfectly smoothly though.

Hermione was McGonagall's pride and joy in Transfiguration and Devyn was Flitwick's and Quirrell's in Charms and Defense against the Dark Arts. She liked Flitwick just fine, but there was something about Quirrell that felt off to Devyn. There wasn't something quite right about him, but Devyn couldn't place her finger on it.

Quirrell was nice enough even though his stutter got a bit annoying sometimes. Every time Devyn mastered a new concept, he would smile and tell her that she had done a wonderful job and that he was entirely unsurprised that she had. He told her she was brilliant and talented and would go far in the magical world.

This was interesting because Quirrell said nothing about any of the other students, who were easily just as good as she was.

Devyn just wasn't sure quite what to make of him.

* * *

It was snowing merrily on December 23rd, the day that they would be leaving. Hagrid was bringing in enormous trees and the ghosts were singing Christmas carols throughout the halls.

"Happy Christmas, Sir Nicholas," Devyn called as she passed her favorite ghost on the way to the Great Hall.

"Happy Christmas to you, Devyn!" he replied. Happily, Hermione had gotten used to speaking to Nick over the last couple of months and was no longer frightened of him.

Devyn, Hermione, and Neville were wheeling their trunks into the Great Hall to say goodbye to Harry and Ron. Flitwick was busy levitating ornaments onto one of the massive Christmas trees, but turned his head and smiled at Devyn. She grinned right back and waved at him; he really was a wonderful person and teacher. The three of them quickly found Harry and Ron, who were sitting at a table and playing Wizard's Chess.

Devyn had no inclination for the game, but she thought it was entertaining to watch. As they approached, Harry said, "Knight to E-5."

The piece moved and Ron smirked after a few seconds. "Queen to E-5."

Ron's Queen piece moved and smashed Harry's Knight with her chair. Devyn laughed at the game and Neville grinned a little but Hermione said, "That's totally barbaric!"

"That's Wizard's Chess," Ron told her. Devyn nodded; it was true. That was the game. He looked at Hermione's trunk and said to the three of them, "I see you've packed."

"I see you haven't," Hermione replied. Devyn frowned; Hermione had a point. Ron was supposed to be going home for Christmas.

"Change of plans," Ron explained. "My parents decided to go to Romania, to visit my brother Charlie. He's studying dragons there."

"Cool," Devyn said. Every day she spent at Hogwarts, she learned something new about the Wizarding World. For instance, just the other day, she learned that dragons were actually real and at one time there were boatloads of them in Great Britain.

"Good," Hermione said. "You can help Harry, then. He's going to go look in the library, for information on Nicholas Flamel."

"We've looked a hundred times!" Ron protested. Devyn agreed with him, but they really needed to find out who this guy was.

Hermione leaned in and said, "Not in the restricted section. Happy Christmas."

And with that, she walked away. Ron looked at Harry and said, "I think we've had a bad influence on her."

Devyn laughed and bent down to hug Harry. "Have a happy Christmas, okay?"

Harry nodded and said, "I will. You, too. Tell Remus I said hello, alright?"

"Yep. I will. Bye, Harry. Bye, Ron," Devyn said.

"Bye Devyn," they called. "See ya, Neville," Ron said and Neville waved goodbye before they both walked off and followed Hermione.

They walked down to the Hogsmeade Station and boarded the Hogwarts Express, which would take them back to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London.

A couple of hours later, they reached King's Cross and got off the train. As one of the attendants started unloading their trunks, Devyn hugged Hermione goodbye and then heard someone call her name. She missed that voice so much.

"MOONY!" she shouted, running towards her godfather, who had just emerged from the crowd. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He did the same and lifted her right off the ground.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" Moony said, hugging her as tightly as he could without injuring her.

"I've missed you, too, Moony."

When he finally put her down, Moony was beaming. Next to her, she saw Neville greeted by his grandmother.

"Hello, Devyn," Augusta Longbottom said, looking at her. "I trust you've had a good term."

"Oh, yes, Mrs. Longbottom. It's been very interesting." Devyn caught Neville's eye and they grinned. Moony ruffled her hair playfully, which was only a little longer than what it had been when she left.

When it was time to go home, Devyn and Neville collected their trunks and said goodbye to one another.

"Let's try and hang out a bit over the holidays, okay, Neville?" Devyn said to him. She hugged him as he nodded and whispered, "Okay. We'll try. Just not on Christmas. I...I go visit my parents on Christmas day."

Devyn nodded and said, "Have a Happy Christmas, Nev."

"You, too, Dev."

And with that, Devyn and Moony started off for home, as did Neville and Mrs. Longbottom.

"So, has anything interesting happened this term?" Moony asked her.

_Oh, boy. Where to start?_ Devyn thought.


	24. Chapter 24

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 24**

So far, Devyn's Christmas break had been interesting. She told Moony what she could about her term without getting herself or anyone else in trouble. Of course, it hadn't been easy because the troll, Fluffy, and their investigating the whole Nicholas Flamel business was a large part of what had happened in the last couple of months.

Frustratingly, Moony wanted to hear about everything, and she meant, _everything_. The day after she got home, which was Christmas Eve, the two of them sat down and talked about everything that had been going on with them since they saw each other last.

"Well, I'm now friends with Harry and Ron, in addition to Neville and Hermione. But you already knew that. Oh! Harry's the Gryffindor Seeker."

"Is he really? That's incredible. First years almost never make the House teams," Moony said, looking pleasantly surprised. "How does he fly?"

"He's a natural, Moony. He's just amazing. It's like he was born in the air," Devyn spoke fondly Harry. He was now something like a brother to her.

"Yes, James was similar. How did he make the team? Did he try out?"

"No, he didn't. In fact - didn't I tell you about this?"

"No, I don't think so," Moony said, thinking back on it. He shrugged and said, "No, you didn't."

"Huh. Could have sworn I did. Anyway, ok, so, we were in the middle of our first Flying lesson, with the Slytherins."

"Uh huh..." Moony said, motioning for her to go on. He had just settled into the couch and was watching her attentively. He had been watching her like this for a while, and Devyn chalked it up to his being relieved that she was home with him.

"And Madam Hooch told us what to do, but Neville was completely terrified. He definitely did not want to fly on any broom. Anyway, she blew the whistle and he rose up like we were supposed to do - but he didn't stop. He just kept going. And then his broom went berserk. It started tossing him around and I was petrified that he was going to fall and seriously hurt himself. Eventually, he got hung up on a statue by his cloak and then fell to an unlit torch, and then fell out of his cloak to the ground."

Moony looked really worried and Devyn said, "Don't worry, Neville was fine. He broke his wrist, but Madam Pomfrey mended it within minutes. But after Madam Hooch left with Neville to take him to the Hospital Wing, Draco Malfoy noticed that Neville had dropped the Remembrall that his Gran just sent him and took it."

Moony nodded and said, "And then?"

"Relax, I'm getting there. Then Malfoy said, and I quote, 'Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat ass.' I'm not even joking, Moony."

"That awful little twerp. I hope someone stood up to him..."

"Oh, I did. I was furious. I went charging at him and clocked him right in the jaw."

"You punched him?! Devyn, you don't hit people!"

"You sound like Hermione, Moony! He had it coming."

"Really? And what exactly did the young lad do to deserve being punched?"

"He'd insulted Neville and Hermione before, and already made insinuations about me and him."

"Like what?" Moony said, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, you know, stuff like how I would be treated like a princess if I ran off with him and ditched Hermione and Neville. Oh, and he said there was a possibility that we could be matched. Can you believe that?"

"He actually said that?" Moony growled.

"Yes, he did. As if! I would never marry that little prat."

"Yeah, and if I have my way, you'll never be marrying at all."

"Oh, Moony, you know you're still my number one guy."

"Better be," Moony said playfully. He put an arm around her and said, "Okay, so you punched him and then what?"

"Then he got up and Harry demanded that he hand over Neville's Remembrall. Malfoy refused, obviously, and jumped on his broom, saying that he was going to leave the Remembrall somewhere for Neville to find, like on the roof. So, not standing for it, Harry jumped on his broom and he - well, we're not exactly sure what he said to Malfoy - but it ended with Malfoy throwing the Remembrall as far as he could and Harry zooming after it."

"And?" Moony prompted.

"And," Devyn said, with a giggle as she looked around at the Christmas decorations. There was a beautiful tree in the living room that had a wonderful star on top of it. "And, Harry caught it after flying at breakneck speed. He caught it right before, literally right before, it crashed into the side of the castle. He had a roll to avoid the wall himself."

"Wow," Moony said. "Sounds like something James would do. Or your dad."

"Really? Cool. So, then McGonagall came out and asked Harry to follow her and we all thought he was finished. But as it turned out, he was made Seeker instead."

"That is unbelievable. Anyone else would have gotten detention or, worse, expelled," Moony said.

"Yep," she laughed. "But not Harry."

"Are you going to try out for Quidditch next year?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Oh, your dad was an excellent Chaser, that's all."

"Yeah I know. I saw a trophy case that had a plaque with his name on it, along with James Potter's."

Moony looked at her and said, "You wanna see some pictures? Of your parents, and me, and Harry's parents when we were at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah!"

They spent the next hour or two laughing over some of the sillier pictures that Moony had, like one with Devyn's father, Michael, being given a piggy back ride by James Potter. James and Harry did look extraordinarily alike. Except for the eyes and the nose, they could have been twins.

Devyn smiled sadly at a picture of her parents. They were hugging each other and were very much in love. She wished she could remember them, but as she often told herself, it was pointless worrying over something you'll never remember.

"Oh," Moony said, looking at the picture she was holding. "That was taken the day before we graduated Hogwarts. Exactly one year later, to the **day**, Michael asked Victoria to marry him. It wasn't a big surprise to any of us, really. They were made for one another."

Devyn smiled and leaned back against Moony. "She was so beautiful," Devyn said, looking at her mother, who was beaming widely.

"She was. Just like you."

Devyn rolled her eyes and Moony said, "It's true! You're just as beautiful as her, if not more so. That's why I worry so much about you."

"Huh?" Devyn thought that unless he was talking about what she thought he was talking about, his sentence made no sense.

"Devyn, you are beautiful. Sooner or later, the boys at Hogwarts are going to realize that and when they do... I just don't want you getting hurt."

"You don't have to worry about that, Moony. I don't like any of them..."

"Not yet," Moony said, sounding sad. "But you're twelve years old. Soon, you'll start liking boys and having crushes."

Devyn shook her head and hugged her godfather. "Seriously, don't worry about that right now, Moony."

"Okay..." Moony said, sounding relieved and disbelieving at the same time.

Devyn smiled reassuringly at Moony but in the back of her mind, some part of her was thinking that she might already have a bit of crush. But she squashed any thoughts of that down. It would never happen. She wasn't sure she even wanted it to happen. But it was still always there...

* * *

**I'm not too sure about this chapter. I didn't really like it, but I had to put something. I couldn't just jump to the end of the break and put her back on the Hogwarts Express. Tell me what you think.**


	25. Chapter 25

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**AN: ****Sorry it's been awhile, guys. I've just been really busy with school. We have three books to read, two pretty big projects, and I've been dealing with early college applications. So anyway, here is the next chapter.**

**Chapter 25**

Christmas and New Year's had passed without much event. Devyn and Moony had a nice quiet Christmas with just the two of them and they exchanged presents. Moony had insisted that Devyn needn't have gotten him anything; that her presence alone was enough of a gift for him, but Devyn ignored him.

And so had Mrs. Longbottom. It had been the Longbottom matriarch that took Devyn into Diagon Alley, where she had bought Moony his Christmas present: she hadn't known what to get him, so she bought him a new set of robes and a set of books on everything ranging from really Advanced Charms to really Advanced Potions. He was quite the academic, so she thought that he might like it. Plus, he really needed some new robes. It wasn't much, she had thought ruefully, as she looked at her necklace that Moony had given her for her birthday.

But, of course, that didn't matter to Moony. He beamed when he saw his gifts and hugged Devyn tightly. Moony's gift to her had been a photo album filled with pictures of her mum and dad. Some of them were with Moony, James, Lily, and two other guys; some of them were just her parents alone; and some of them, not many, but some were of her with her parents when she was a baby. In every single picture, her parents were smiling and waving up at her. Of course, they couldn't see her, but to Devyn, it felt as though she had opened a window to the past and they could see each other, instead of Devyn just seeing echoes of the past in picture form. Either way, she cherished it.

"Thank you, Moony!" she had told him. He grinned nervously and said, "Do you like it? I had to ask around for some of the photos, but most of them I had already…"

"Do I like it? Moony, I love it! It's amazing!"

She hugged her godfather happily, and said, very quietly, "I love you, Moony."

"I love you, too, Devyn," he replied, his voice breaking with emotion a little bit.

On New Year's, Moony invited Neville and Mrs. Longbottom over to celebrate with them. When the clock chimed midnight, Moony kissed Mrs. Longbottom on the cheek, making her giggle. In Devyn's opinion, Mrs. Longbottom had had just a touch too much wine.

Regardless, Devyn hugged Neville and said, "Happy New Year's, Nev."

"Happy New Year's to you, too, Devyn," he replied, smiling more widely than Devyn had ever seen him. She had a strong urge to kiss Neville on the cheek, like Moony had done to Mrs. Longbottom, but she resisted it.

She knew that it would embarrass Neville, and, at the same time, she was trying to battle a small feeling in her stomach that felt like butterflies fluttering around every time Neville smiled like he had just done.

She had a feeling that what she was dealing with at the current time was the beginnings of a tiny crush. But Neville was her best friend…surely it was only Devyn being fond of him _because_ he was her best friend. Right?

Yeah, that's what it was, she convinced herself. It was nothing. Ignore it. It'll go away.

_It has to go away. He's my best friend_, Devyn thought as she lay in bed that night. _I don't like him like that. I can't. He is my best friend. That's it. That's all he is. __**I do not have a crush on Neville Longbottom.**_

But somewhere in a dark corner of her mind, some part of her was rolling their eyes and settling down, waiting for her to stop lying to herself, even if she didn't know she was lying to herself yet.

* * *

_**Two months later – March, 1991**_

* * *

Devyn, Neville, Ron, and Harry were in the library yet again. It seemed like they were spending all of their free time in there, and Devyn felt as though she could now navigate the place in her sleep, with a blindfold on, if she was requested to.

Not that she had anything against libraries, but she was getting quite bored with scouring the shelves for books that looked likely to have Nicholas Flamel in them somewhere…and never finding anything. Besides, she thought that if she had to deal with Madam Pince, the very ill-tempered librarian, breathing down her neck for any more time, she might actually throttle her.

But today, Devyn had a feeling that today things would be different. For some reason, she had a feeling that today they might actually find something.

At the current time, Hermione was off looking in the shelves, while Harry and Ron were divvying up a stack of books to search through. Neville was looking in the index of one book and Devyn was reading a very long and boring piece on something called the Sorcerer's Stone.

Devyn realized that she wasn't taking any of it in when she reread the same paragraph for the fifth time. It was so mind-numbingly dull that she couldn't focus. It wasn't that the she found the Sorcerer's Stone a boring subject, but the author of the book.

The way it was written, she wouldn't have been surprised if Professor Binns was the author. Just for kicks, she checked the cover for the author's name. Much to her surprise, the name on the cover was in fact, Professor Cuthbert Binns.

She snorted and muttered to herself, "Now it all makes sense."

"What makes sense?" Harry asked her. She looked up and said, "This brain-cell-killing boring book was written by none other than Professor Binns. That's why it is so boring."

"Ah," Harry said, and went back to his book. Next to her, Neville had fallen asleep, and Devyn prodded him awake as Hermione came back over. She was carrying the biggest book Devyn had ever seen.

"I had you looking in the wrong section," Hermione said. Devyn tossed the book she was reading over her shoulder and continued to try and prod Neville awake. "How could I be so stupid?" she continued.

Hermione dropped the book on the table, making Harry jump and Neville jolt awake – and straight out of his chair. He landed on the floor and Devyn helped him up while Hermione said, "I checked this out a few weeks ago for a bit of light reading!"

Devyn looked at Hermione and the book and then shrugged; she was used to Hermione's reading habits by now. In fact, compared to the other girls in her dormitory, Hermione was perfectly normal in Devyn's eyes. At least _she _didn't stay up half the night giggling about the cute boys, like Lavender and Parvati.

However, Ron widened his eyes and said, "_This _is light?" as Hermione started flipping through the pages.

Devyn snorted when Hermione glared at him, but then said, "Of course, here it is! 'Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!'"

Devyn's eyes widened. She wondered how close she was in the book she had been reading. However, she doubted that Professor Binns would have concerned himself with Nicholas Flamel. Plus, she didn't think she would have lasted much longer with that book anyways.

"The what?" the three boys chorused. Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Honestly, don't you three read? 'The Sorcerer's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.'"

Devyn nodded, now figuring out that the Sorcerer's Stone was what Fluffy was guarding. Well, that certainly warranted a three-headed dog as protection.

"Immortal?" Ron repeated.

"It means you'll never die," Hermione told him.

"I know what it means!" Ron said indignantly. Devyn laughed silently at Ron's outrage. Clearly he felt that Hermione had insulted his intelligence.

Harry shushed Ron and Hermione continued reading, "The only stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel, the noted alchemist, who last year celebrated his 665th birthday.' _That's_ what Fluffy's guarding on the third floor. _That's_ what's under the trap door. The Sorcerer's Stone."

_Finally! Some answers! _Devyn thought happily while the others looked at each other nervously. Devyn started formulating yet another question in her head. Why would Flamel's Stone be at Hogwarts? Wouldn't he need it to continue to make the Elixir of Life?

* * *

After they figured out that the Sorcerer's Stone was what was under the trap door, the five of them knew who they had to talk to: Hagrid. He was the one who mentioned Nicholas Flamel in the first place, and if they were being honest with themselves, Hagrid was the only one who would listen to five first years, with the exception of perhaps Dumbledore.

So there they were, running as fast as they possibly could across the pitch black and wet grounds, trying to get to Hagrid's hut. It was almost midnight and for this reason, Neville hadn't wanted to go out. He didn't want to risk getting in trouble, but he also didn't want to be left behind. She tried to convince him to come along, but he decided against it in the end. Devyn had shrugged and said, "That's your choice, Neville. See you later."

Neville had looked relieved that he wasn't being forced to go and the four of them set out for Hagrid's hut. Harry got there first and knocked. When it opened to reveal their large friend, Harry said, "Hagrid!"

Devyn raised an eyebrow at the additions to Hagrid's normal attire (an apron and oven mitts) as he said, "Oh, hello. Sorry, don't mean to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today."

Devyn was slightly affronted when Hagrid started to close the door, but then all four of them exclaimed, in unison, "We know about the Sorcerer's Stone."

Hagrid opened the door again and said only this: "Oh."

He lead them inside after that and Harry immediately said, "We think Snape's trying to steal it."

"Snape?" Hagrid questioned. "Blimey, Harry, yer not still on about him, are yeh?"

"Hagrid," Devyn said, looking him square in the eye. "We know he's after the Stone. We just don't know why."

Hagrid had this look in his eye when he replied. Devyn wasn't sure what it was, but it looked something between amusement and pity. Either way, Devyn wasn't sure she liked it.

"Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone. He's not about ter steal it!"

Devyn wasn't entirely surprised as she flopped into one of the chairs, as did the others. She had figured that there would be other things protecting the Stone, like spells and enchantments. And of course, the other teachers would have protections as well, that was only logical. Unfortunately, with Snape taking part in protecting the Stone, he was in an ideal position to figure out the other teacher's protections. The teachers, and Dumbledore, would never suspect one of their own to be after the Stone. Even though she didn't like him, she had to admit that Snape was crafty and very smart. It was really no wonder that Hagrid didn't believe them.

Harry, on his part, was quite shocked, however. "What?" This seemed to be all that Harry could manage to say, he was so dumbfounded.

"You heard," Hagrid said. "Right. Come on, now. I'm a bit preoccupied today."

"Wait a minute," Harry said, as Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, sniffed Ron. "One of the teachers?"

_There you go, Harry. Figured it out, good for you, _Devyn thought, completely sincere. She knew that Harry was far smarter than he played himself off as. He might not have been as quick as Hermione, but he was really just as brilliant.

Speaking of Hermione, who was seated in a massive chair, she said, "Of course! There are other things defending the Stone, aren't there? Spells, enchantments."

"That's right," Hagrid said, confirming what Devyn already knew. "Waste of bloody time, if you ask me."

Hermione frowned at Ron, who was shuffling away from Fang, who was trying to sniff Ron. Taking pity on the poor boy, Devyn signaled Fang and the enormous dog bounded over to her. Devyn smiled and started scratching the back of Fang's ear.

"Ain't no one gonna get past Fluffy," Hagrid continued. He chuckled and said, "Not a soul knows how, except fer me an' Dumbledore."

Suddenly Hagrid looked angry with himself and said, "I shouldn't have told you that. I shouldn't have told you that."

And then the cauldron over Hagrid's fire began to rattle and Hagrid said, "Oh!" He hurried over to it and took something out of the very hot cauldron, and quickly put it on the table. The five of them gathered around the table with Hagrid and Devyn looked at what was on the table.

It appeared to be…an egg. A really big egg, but an egg all the same. Why would Hagrid have an egg? What was he hatching? What could be that big to come out of that size egg? Unless…no, he wouldn't. It would be far too dangerous. Hagrid would never…but then, he did have Fluffy….

"Uh, Hagrid," Harry said tentatively. "What exactly is that?"

"That?" Hagrid said, looking at the tan colored egg. "It's a…it's um…"

Devyn was alarmed that Hagrid couldn't even tell them what it was, which mean either he didn't want them to know, or he didn't know himself. Either way, it didn't look good.

"I know what that is!" Ron exclaimed. Then he looked confused. "But Hagrid…how did you get one?"

"I won it," Hagrid informed them. "Off a stranger I met down the pub. Seemed quite glad to be rid of it, as a matter of fact."

The egg rattled and cracked and shattered, and out fell – Devyn couldn't even believe her own eyes – a baby dragon. It was the same tan as its egg had been and looked around curiously at them all. It had small wings that Devyn was sure wouldn't remain small for long, with clawed toes at the end of them.

It squeaked a little when it slipped on a shard of egg and Hagrid positively gushed, as though it was a cute puppy or something. Devyn supposed it wasn't an ugly creature; it was actually quite exquisite, if a little disproportioned, but she didn't think that it warranted gushing over.

"Is that…a dragon?" Hermione asked.

"That's not just a dragon! That's a Norwegian Ridgeback! My brother Charlie works with these in Romania."

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid said, sniffling as though he just witnessed the birth of his first child. The little creature turned and looked up at Hagrid. "Oh bless him, look, he knows his mummy!"

Devyn was now fairly sure that Hagrid had cracked up. He chuckled again and tickled the dragon under his chin. "Hallo, Norbert!"

Harry and Ron looked at one another and Devyn felt like bashing her head against the table. "Norbert?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yeah, well, he's gotta have a name, doesn't he?" Hagrid said. Ron laughed and Hagrid went back to tickling Norbert under his chin. But then Norbert hiccupped, creating a fireball and accidently set Hagrid's beard on fire.

Hagrid frantically beat the fire out and once he succeeded, he said, "Well, he'll have to be trained up a bit of course." Hagrid suddenly frowned at his window.

"Who's that?" he asked. Devyn whirled around just in time to see a blonde head scampering away. She and Harry looked at one another in terror. The one person that caught them was the one person they both hated with an equal passion.

"Malfoy."


	26. Chapter 26

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHNG AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 26**

"Oh dear," Hagrid said, looking worried. Devyn, Ron, Hermione, and Harry barely had time to register what they were doing before they were up and bolting it out of Hagrid's hut back up to the castle.

Devyn could feel herself losing steam and speed when they were running up a hill and she told herself, _Come on Devyn, push it. Keep running. _

It took all of her willpower but suddenly she was running faster than she had ever run before: trees were passing by in dark blurs; she breezed past Harry and Ron, who had been a little ahead of her.

"Whoa!" Ron said, as she passed him. Devyn ignored him and just kept running. That little squit Malfoy was going tell McGonagall about Hagrid's dragon, and then Hagrid would be in it knee-deep. All Devyn knew, as she kept running as hard and as fast as she could, was that she needed to protect Hagrid. Hagrid was now like family to her, and she was not about to let Malfoy get him.

All she saw before her was the massive castle. She was almost there. She was closer now. Less than twenty yards away. Less than 10 yards away. And then she had done it. She reached the castle and she was barely out of breath.

It took a couple minutes for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to catch up to her, and by that time, the three of them were clutching at stitches in their sides and heaving breaths, trying to regain the air that they had lost.

Ron looked at her and said, "How did you…do that?"

"Do what?" she asked. Ron looked at her like she had ten heads and Hermione panted, "You were running faster than any human possibly could. All we…all _I_ knew was that one second you were running next to me and the boys were ahead of us, and then the next second you were ten feet ahead of Harry and Ron. I have never seen anyone run that fast."

Harry nodded and Devyn said, "I didn't realize I was running _that_ fast. I mean, I knew I was booking it, but I was only focused on getting to the castle."

She shrugged and Harry and Ron seemed to accept what she was saying. Hermione, on the other hand, looked very curious. "Come on," Harry said, beckoning them all down the nearest hall. Unfortunately, in waiting for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to catch their breath, they had lost all direction of where Malfoy might have gone.

And so they walked, hoping that they could make it back to Gryffindor Tower before Malfoy and whatever teacher he found, found them.

"Hagrid always wanted a dragon," Harry said suddenly. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."

"It's crazy," Ron said firmly. "And worse, Malfoy knows."

Devyn nodded and Hermione said, "I don't understand. Is that bad?"

Devyn looked at her and she and Ron said, "It's bad."

They stopped short as McGonagall, wearing her nightgown, appeared. "Good evening," she said. Devyn's heart sank into her stomach and then fury filled her when she saw the smug, smirking face of Draco Malfoy.

* * *

The four of them were silent as McGonagall dragged them to her classroom. Had Devyn been more confident in her control of her anger, she might have said something to Malfoy, who kept sending smirks and sneers her way. However, because she was completely sure that if she said something, she get into even more trouble (and because she was sure that Malfoy would say something back, causing Devyn to try and hit him), so she said nothing.

Thankfully, Harry and Ron seemed to be just as angry as she was, and had just as much as trouble controlling the fury that was coursing through them. Hermione, on the other hand, looked terrified. She had most likely never gotten into trouble with a teacher, and simply didn't know how to handle it.

Devyn had gotten yelled at so many times in her life that it no longer fazed her. She usually tuned out and thought about something else. However, she usually did that because she was being yelled at by someone she held no respect for. And she respected McGonagall more than words could express.

So she wouldn't tune out. She wouldn't ignore McGonagall. She would listen to what her teacher and Head of House had to say, and then she would probably mull it over in her mind, sulk over whatever punishment she received, and then get over it. She just hoped against all reason in her mind, that McGonagall would not write Moony.

She had never really gotten into trouble with Moony, and she didn't want to start now. Besides, it's not like they helped smuggle Norbert into Hagrid's hut! They were only there to get information on the Sorcerer's Stone (which they should not have known about in the first place) and it just so happened that Norbert hatched that night.

But soon, Devyn's thoughts were interrupted when she found herself inside McGonagall's classroom. McGonagall sat down and stared at them all for a minute or so, making them feel guilty. Harry and Ron tried to look McGonagall in the eyes, but seemed not to be able to. Hermione was resolutely looking at the floor. But Devyn…Devyn was staring right back at McGonagall, perhaps not defiantly, but bravely. Not many people she knew would have the guts to stare Minerva McGonagall down while they were in trouble, standing in _her _classroom, after midnight.

"Nothing, I repeat nothing," McGonagall finally said, making Malfoy smirk even more, "gives a student the right to walk about the school at night."

McGonagall met Devyn's eyes, but the younger girl refused to look away. Devyn knew that McGonagall was disappointed in her, but what was going on in this school, with Fluffy, and the Sorcerer's Stone, a teacher being disappointed in her paled in comparison to the importance of the Sorcerer's Stone.

It was just a fact. And for that reason, and that reason only, Devyn continued to stare right back at McGonagall.

"Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken," McGonagall continued. Devyn thought that was fair…but also like she was letting them off easy.

"Fifty?!" Harry exclaimed, indignant. Devyn closed her eyes, knowing that didn't help them at all.

"Each," McGonagall added. "And to ensure it doesn't happen again, all five of you will receive detention."

Devyn smirked. She didn't care that she got detention. But the fact that Malfoy, that little rat, also got detention was too good. She thought she might have seen McGonagall wink at her, but it lasted no more than a millisecond, so she couldn't be sure.

Malfoy nodded his approval of the punishment but then his smug smile vanished. He stepped forward and said, "Excuse me, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong. I thought you said, 'the five of us'."

McGonagall looked at Malfoy and said, "No, you heard me correctly, Mr. Malfoy. You see, as honorable as your intentions were, you too were out of bed after hours. You will serve detention with your classmates."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Devyn grinned at each other as Malfoy's smugness deflated and his plan blew up in his face.


	27. Chapter 27

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 27**

When Devyn got back to the Gryffindor Common Room, she was entirely unsurprised that Neville was up waiting for her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Neville was sitting in one of the chairs by the fire and was looking very nervous.

He jumped up immediately when the portrait opened and rushed over to Devyn when he realized it was her coming through the door, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking behind her.

"Devyn, what happened? What did you find out? Where have you been, it's been _hours_!" Devyn adored Neville, but she was tired and his many questions were just a little annoying.

"Neville! Please just stop asking questions. I'll tell you what happened, but please calm down…" Devyn trailed off, yawning and Neville adopted a guilty expression.

"Sorry," Neville said. Devyn waved her hand and said, "Okay…so we went down to Hagrid's and asked him about the Sorcerer's Stone. You were right not to come along Neville, because we got more than we bargained for…"

"What do you mean?"

"Hagrid," Ron said, "is now in possession of a…a_ baby dragon_." Ron whispered the last part to avoid anyone possibly overhearing their conversation.

"He's _WHAT_?" Neville almost shouted. The four of them shushed him as quickly as they could and Neville apologized again.

"Is he insane?" Neville asked. "He lives in a wooden house!"

Devyn nodded and said, "I know. But apparently, according to Harry, Hagrid has always wanted one, ever since he was a kid."

Neville shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. "But they're illegal! Maybe they weren't when he was a kid, but they are now. Oh, Hagrid could get into so much trouble for this. He could get fired, no, worse than that; they could throw him into Azkaban for this!"

"Azkaban?" Harry asked. Neville nodded and said, "It's a prison. Really horrible place."

Harry blinked and nodded, looking worried. Devyn shook her head and collapsed into Neville's vacated chair. She rubbed her eyes and said, "I don't think Dumbledore will let that happen. He wouldn't let Hagrid be thrown into Azkaban, or any other prison."

"Yeah, you're right, but there's only so much that Dumbledore can do. He's influential, of course, but his power only goes so far…" Hermione said, also sitting down in one of the chairs.

"I can't believe this," Neville said. Devyn nodded and Ron said, "And what's worse is Malfoy knows."

"_**MALFOY KNOWS**_**?!**" Neville exclaimed. They shushed him furiously again. Neville looked frustrated with himself and started pacing. "Oh, this is just perfect! Malfoy knows. How does he know? You didn't let him go with you, did you, Devyn? I know Malfoy's slick, but I thought you of all people wouldn't fall for his charm…"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Neville?" Ron asked. They were all looking at him as though he had sprouted five extra heads. Devyn was shocked and a little hurt. How could he think that she would ever fall for Malfoy's charms? When did Malfoy ever have _charms_? And why would he care? Why was Neville suddenly so accusing of Malfoy…?

All these thoughts made Devyn's exhausted brain cry out in protest, so she let them go. Neville looked embarrassed and Devyn stood up. "Neville, you know I would never, ever, **EVER** in a million years, ever fall for Malfoy's so called 'charms'. And of course we didn't let him tag along. He was spying on Hagrid. Although I can't imagine why he was…"

Devyn started thinking about why Malfoy was there in the first place. He probably just saw them running across the grounds and followed them. He probably wanted to get them in trouble, and struck gold when he saw Hagrid and Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback.

Harry must have realized that Devyn was now in deep thought, because he carried on with the story. "Well, anyway, Malfoy saw the dragon and he ran back up to the castle. We ran back after that but we were too late. He found McGonagall. Now we have detention for being out of bed after hours."

"And what about _**Malfoy**_?" Neville spat his name with disgust. "He was out of bed after hours, too."

It seemed Neville had recovered from his very odd bout of jealousy or whatever that was concerning Devyn and Malfoy a few minutes ago and Devyn smiled viciously.

"Yeah, Malfoy got detention too. We'll be serving it tomorrow night."

Neville nodded and asked, "So what did you find out about the Stone?"

"Well, as it turns out," Hermione told him, "Snape is one of the teachers protecting the Stone. And of course, Hagrid doesn't believe that Snape is after it, because he's helping to protect it."

"Wait, one of the teachers?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded and said, "Yeah, the other teachers, probably McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, and Quirrell, and maybe Dumbledore, have enchantments protecting the Stone as well. Hagrid seems to think that it is a waste of time to have them protect the Stone."

"_What_?" Neville asked incredulously. Devyn nodded and said, her eyes now closed, "He seems to think that Fluffy is protection enough. On some level I agree with him. Unless someone knows how to sedate Fluffy, they won't be getting down that trap door."

"Yeah, but we all know that Snape is a talented wizard. He could probably knock Fluffy out no problem," Ron said, looking annoyed with the thought.

"Yes. That's why I said I agree with him on some level. The other protections are needed as well. They're probably really powerful too. But considering that Snape probably knows what the other teachers' protections are, that won't be too much of a problem for him," Devyn said. She had considered telling Moony everything. It would make everything much easier. And she knew Moony would believe her, or at least hear her and her friends out.

But, on the other hand, she didn't know how dangerous Snape was, and she didn't know what he would do if he realized that someone was onto him. And she didn't want to place anyone, least of all Moony, in danger. No, it would be better to keep this between her, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville.

All they could do now was serve their detention and carry on with their investigation quietly.

* * *

The next night, she, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Malfoy were walking across the grounds with Filch, who was going on and on about the 'old punishments'.

"Pity they let the old punishments die," Filch was saying. Devyn, who was walking behind him, next to Harry, rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand Filch but she knew that she couldn't say anything insulting to him, or she'd probably end up hanging from the ceiling by her thumbs.

"There was a time," Filch said, "that detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons." Devyn blinked at the similarity between her thoughts and Filch's statement. That was disturbing. Sometimes she had a dark mind, but she didn't want to think like someone like Argus Filch. He was a horrid person.

"God, I miss the screaming," Filch concluded. Behind him, Devyn's mouth dropped open and she mimed cocking a shotgun and shooting it at Filch's back. Harry stuffed his fist in his mouth to stop himself laughing. Draco swallowed hard and Filch's words and Hermione rushed past the old caretaker, clearly not wanting to be in his presence any longer than she needed to be.

"You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight," Filch looked over his shoulder to speak to her and Harry. Devyn tried very hard not to look pleased with that fact. However, Harry must have had a harder time keeping a straight face because Filch said, clearly trying to crush any joy in them, "He's a got a little job to do inside the Dark Forest."

Filch must have thought this was a terrifying concept, but Devyn found herself being unimpressed. What was there in the Forest that could scare her or hurt her that much? She'd be with Hagrid or Fang at the very least. Nothing would happen to her.

They finally made it to Hagrid's hut and Hagrid and Fang were already waiting outside for them. Devyn, oddly enough, was reassured that she would be safe when she saw that Hagrid had a crossbow with him.

Hagrid, she was confident, would let no harm come to her, or any of the others. Unfortunately, Hagrid didn't seem himself tonight, as he let out a sniffle.

"A sorry lot this, Hagrid," Filch told him. When the caretaker realized Hagrid was upset, he said, "Oh, good God, man, you're not still on about that bloody dragon, are you?"

Devyn wanted very much to kick and curse colorfully at Filch, but she knew she couldn't do that, so she settled for trying to glare a hole in his head. Hagrid frowned at Filch and then looked at Devyn and Harry, sniffing and sighing.

"Hagrid, what's wrong?" Devyn asked. Seeing him like this was physically hurting Devyn. She couldn't stand to see people in pain, especially people who she cared deeply about, like Hagrid.

"Norbert's gone," Hagrid answered. Devyn felt badly for Hagrid, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that Norbert was no longer an issue. "Dumbledore's sent him off to Romania to live in a colony."

"Well, that's good, isn't it? He'll be with his own kind."

"Yeah, but what if he don' like Romania?" Hagrid protested. Devyn saw Filch roll his eyes and she turned to glare at him, face to face. He sneered at her and Devyn sent him a warning look before turning back to Hagrid.

"What if the other dragons are mean to him? He's only a baby after all…" Hagrid said.

"Oh, for God's sake, pull yourself together, man. You're going into the Forest after all. Got to have your wits about you," Filch said. Devyn had had it. She turned around slowly and said, "You know, Mr. Filch, I would really appreciate it if you would stop dogging on Hagrid. He's upset and _you_ are making it worse. Your work is done here. Wouldn't your time be better spent _**back up at the castle**_?"

Her tone was polite, but even Filch couldn't mistake the venom in her voice. Filch glared at her and said, "No student tells me what to do, Murphy. Watch your tongue."

Suddenly Malfoy spoke up. "The forest? I thought that was a joke! We can't go in there! Students aren't allowed. And there are," Malfoy swallowed as a wolf howled somewhere in the distance, "werewolves!"

Devyn smiled fondly when she heard the wolf. She loved wolves, and the sound reminded her of Moony. She reached up to her neck and held the charm of her necklace that she had gotten for her birthday. It seemed like ages ago now.

"There's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that," Filch informed Malfoy. Devyn smiled inwardly when Malfoy looked frightened. _Good_, she thought savagely. Apparently, seeing as how he terrified enough students for the night, he started walking away and said, "Nighty-night."

Hagrid looked at the group of them and said, "Right. Let's go."

* * *

The seven of them, including Fang, were walking along a path in the Dark Forest. _Well, _Devyn thought, _at least I know how it got its name…_

And she did. Because the place was almost pitch black – she could see, but she was pretty sure that she was the only one because the others kept tripping over tree roots and stuff. Hagrid had a lantern, but it didn't provide for much light.

When Ron fell over for the fifth time, and Devyn pulled him up again, he said, "How come you haven't fallen yet?"

Devyn shrugged and said, "I can see fine."

"How can you see?" he asked, incredulous.

"I use my eyes, Ron," she replied, sarcastically. Ron rolled his eyes and said, "Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, you can run faster than anyone I've ever seen, and you can see just fine in almost pitch black surroundings. What are you, a werewolf or something?"

"No, Ron, I'm not a werewolf. I don't know why I can see so well in the dark, and I don't know why I ran so fast that day."

"Well, I don't like it," Ron stated, looking very childish as he did so. Devyn shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Ron," she said. She was quite finished with the conversation, and Ron's ignorant and childish behavior. Of course, Ron didn't know that he struck a nerve when he asked her if she was 'a werewolf or something'. It wasn't the comment itself that bothered her. She loved wolves and she didn't care that Moony was a werewolf. What bothered her was the way that Ron said it; he sounded disgusted and used the word 'werewolf' like it was an insult. And she didn't like that at all.

However, she knew how Ron could be, so she let it go – for now. Walking on, she (and Ron, who was trailing behind her) caught up with Hagrid, Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy, who were all stopped in front of a tree.

Hagrid was bent down, sticking his fingers into a puddle of a moon bright silver substance. It was practically glowing it was so bright. When Hagrid brought his fingers out of the puddle, some of the silver stuff stuck to his fingers and started dripping like – as horrible as the thought was – blood.

"Hagrid, what's that?" Harry asked.

Hagrid looked at him and said, "What we're here for. See that?" Devyn nodded and Hagrid continued, "That's Unicorn blood, that is."

Devyn closed her eyes in horror. Unicorns were beautiful creatures. Even if she wasn't a girlie-girl like Lavender, she still thought Unicorns to be breathtaking creatures, and anyone who dared to hurt such an innocent creature…well, their moral compass wasn't facing completely North, to say the least.

"I found one dead a few weeks ago," Hagrid said. "Now this one's been injured bad by something."

Devyn heard a rustling and she and Harry immediately turned to the sound. They both saw a dark figure shifting through the trees. They looked at each other and then back at Hagrid. Hagrid looked at them weirdly and looked at the trees where they had been looking a few seconds ago.

Devyn knew that he hadn't seen what they had seen because the figure was already gone. "So," Hagrid continued. "It's our job to go and find the poor beast. Ron, Hermione, you'll come with me."

"Okay," Ron said weakly, clearly terrified. Devyn, who was still annoyed with the red-head, resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"And, Harry, Devyn, you two will go with Malfoy."

Harry and Devyn nodded but Malfoy grimaced. This time Devyn really did roll her eyes. She wasn't happy about it either, but there was nothing she could do about it, so what was the point in moaning about it?

"Okay," Malfoy said. "Then I get Fang!"

Hagrid looked at him coldly and said, "Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward."

Fang whined and Devyn knelt down and pet him, saying, "You're not a coward, are you, Fang? No, you're not. You're a brave boy, aren't you, Fang?"

Fang responded by licking Devyn enthusiastically and Hagrid pulled Devyn aside for a moment and said, "Sorry to put you with Malfoy, but I have a feeling that someone will need to put him in his place about this whole thing, and well, you've already done it about fifty times. I trust you to keep your head more than Ron or Hermione, to be honest, too."

Devyn smiled and said, "Hagrid, don't worry about it. I mean, I might end up strangling Malfoy, but let's be honest, it would be no great loss…"

Hagrid chuckled and ruffled her hair, before telling them which direction they would head in. Soon, they wished each other luck and were off.

Fang was leading their little group but Malfoy had the lantern. Originally Devyn had had it, but Malfoy wouldn't shut up about how she wasn't holding it right, so she gave it to him, telling him where he could stick it.

_He seems slightly content now that he had the lantern, so maybe he will stop whin- _Devyn thought

"You wait till my father hears about this! This is servant's stuff."

_Never mind_, Devyn told herself. She really should have known better than to think that Draco "Wait-Till-My-Father-Hears-About-This" Malfoy would stop whining just because he was given a lantern.

"If I didn't know better, _Draco_," Harry said, "I'd say you were scared."

"I'm not _scared_, Potter," Malfoy scoffed. Devyn rolled her eyes and mouthed _'Yes you are_' to herself. Another howl rang out in the night and Malfoy said nervously, "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, Malfoy, it must be the big bad werewolves coming to get you," Devyn snapped. Malfoy glared at her and said, "I'm not afraid of werewolves, Murphy. I'm not afraid of anything."

"Keep telling yourself that, Malfoy," Devyn told him. "Maybe you'll actually convince someone someday. Come on, Fang." The boarhound responded to her beckon and started walking beside her.

"Oh, yeah, Murphy? Well, I don't see you being all brave in the Forest tonight!"

"Yeah, well, you see, unlike you, I don't fear werewolves or anything else in this Forest."

"Werewolves are blood thirsty animals. They're murderers!"

In a flash, in less than a millisecond, Devyn had Malfoy by the throat, lifted him off the ground, and snarled, "Say that again, Malfoy, I _dare_ you." She was so sick of people insulting werewolves. They all thought that because werewolves changed into a vicious creature _**once a month**_ that they were monsters. She was sick of their ignorance.

Harry tried to pull her off Malfoy, but she wouldn't budge. She was too strong for him. She squeezed Malfoy's throat before letting him fall. He started coughing and rubbing his throat.

"Have you ever met a werewolf, Malfoy?" she growled out.

"N-No," Malfoy said, looking terrified at the thought.

"How do you know?"

"What?"

"_How do you know that you've never met one_?" Devyn repeated angrily.

"I-I don't…I mean, I think I –" Malfoy stuttered.

"Exactly. You don't know. You wouldn't unless you met them on a full moon night. They're regular people 354 days out of the year. And I have met a werewolf. He's the nicest man I've ever known. So don't you ever, _**EVER**_ call werewolves 'bloody thirsty animals' in my presence again. Do you understand me?"

"No one orders me around -!" Malfoy began angrily, getting to his feet. Devyn grabbed his cloak and pushed him against a tree.

"I said, _**do you understand me**_?"

Malfoy started trembling and said, "Yes ma'am."

"Good." Devyn freed Malfoy and Harry walked past him to catch up with her.

"What was that all about? What do you mean, you've met a werewolf?"

"Drop it, Harry," she advised him. Devyn couldn't tell Harry the truth. It wasn't her secret to tell and she'd go to her grave, never saying a word about it, if Moony asked her to.

Harry shrugged and they walked on. Devyn eventually calmed down but Malfoy avoided her for the rest of the walk. That suited her just fine and soon, they came to a clearing that was foggy and knotted with roots.

Fang stopped and started growling. "What is it, Fang?" Harry asked, but it was pointless; Devyn already saw what Fang had.

There were a big cloaked figure, stooped over a dead snow white Unicorn, drinking its blood. The figure raised its head, and they all saw the glowing silver blood dripping from its mouth. The sight was horrifying, but Devyn was more concerned with Harry, who had gasped and grabbed his forehead, as though he had a sudden massive headache.

Malfoy's face dissolved into pure terror and he screamed and ran away with Fang. Devyn stayed close to Harry and pulled out her wand. Unfortunately, _Petrificus Totalus _was the extent of her jinx knowledge, and that wasn't going to do much against whoever or whatever this was. If this was a witch or wizard, they would be able to defend themselves against a twelve year old easily, and if this was something not human, they still would be able to defend themselves against a twelve year old easily.

The figure slid over the Unicorn and advanced on Devyn and Harry. They backed up but they tripped over a root that was behind them. They crawled backward as the figure kept advancing and Devyn raised her wand, ready to fire.

"_Petrificus To-_"

But Devyn was cut off by the sound of hoof beats. Another figure, much bigger than the first, leapt over her and Harry and landed near the cloaked figure. This new creature reared and the cloaked figure retreated into the shadows.

They were safe. They were okay. Devyn let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She stood up and pulled Harry up with her. She turned to the creature that saved them and was about to say thank you, but her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the creature.

He was beautiful. He had the torso of a man, but from the waist down, he was a silver horse: he was a Centaur.

The Centaur walked over to them and said, "Harry Potter, you and your friend must leave. You are known to many creatures here. The forest is not safe at this time, especially for you."

Devyn left Harry's side and walked over to the slain Unicorn. Devyn felt tears spring up in her blue eyes at the sight of the broken white creature. It was so beautiful. She sat down on the forest floor and stroked the Unicorn's mane. It flowed through her fingers like water.

The Centaur turned to Devyn and said, "Devyn Murphy, why do you do this?"

"How did you know my name?" Devyn asked him.

"The Centaurs' knowledge is great. We have seen you the stars more than once," was all the Centaur said.

"What's your name?" Devyn asked him.

"Firenze," he replied. "You still have not answered my question, young one. Why do you sit by the Unicorn, even though it is dead?"

"I don't know. It just felt like something I should do. I don't want him to be alone…"

Firenze watched her for a moment and then said, "You are a rare human, Devyn Murphy."

Devyn didn't answer; she only nodded and went back to petting the Unicorn, almost in a comforting way, although she knew the Unicorn was gone.

"But what was that thing you saved us from?" Harry asked Firenze.

"A monstrous creature. It is a terrible crime to slay a Unicorn. Drinking the blood of a Unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death. But at a terrible price. You have slain something so pure that the moment the blood touches your lips, you will have a half-life, a cursed life."

"But who would choose such a life?" Harry asked. Devyn nodded and said, crying softly, "It would be better to die. How could anyone do this to something so pure and innocent? Something so beautiful…"

"Can you think of no one?"

_Voldemort_, Devyn thought with a surge of anger. Of course, Voldemort would kill a Unicorn. He tried to kill a baby before, so a Unicorn would be no problem.

"Do you mean to say," Harry said, figuring it out, "that that thing that killed the Unicorn…that was drinking its blood…that was Voldemort?"

"Do you know what it is hidden in the school at this very moment, Mr. Potter?"

"The Sorcerer's Stone," Harry and Devyn said.

Suddenly there was a bark and Fang appeared along with Hagrid, Hermione, Ron, and Malfoy.

"Harry! Devyn!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hello, there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter. You alright, Harry? Wait, where's Devyn?"

"I'm here, Hagrid!" Devyn called out, her voice shaking from crying over the Unicorn. Her heart broke and she was physically hurting to see this poor, innocent, pure creature slain for someone's selfishness.

"Are you alright, Devyn?" Hermione asked, walking down to her. Devyn shook her head and Hermione gasped when she saw the Unicorn. Her eyes too filled with tears and she walked over to Devyn and the Unicorn.

"Oh, it's so beautiful. But who would do something like this?" Hermione asked, teary eyed. Devyn pressed a kiss to the unicorn's head and then stood up, wiping her tears.

"Voldemort. He did this."

"_You-Know-Who_?"

Devyn nodded and Hermione shook her head. "No, it can't be, he's dead!"

"Believe what you want Hermione, I don't feel like arguing with you right now. I've had a long night and I just want to go to bed."

"Harry Potter," Firenze announced. "Devyn Murphy. This is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck."

Firenze left and Hermione, Devyn, and Harry rejoined the others. Malfoy saw that Devyn had been crying and he said, "What's wrong, Murphy? Crying over the dead Unicorn? It's only an animal! They don't mean anything!"

And he laughed. _**He laughed**_. And Devyn saw red.

"_**THAT IS IT, MALFOY!**_" Devyn whirled around and punched Malfoy as hard as she could. Her fist connected with his nose and it started bleeding. It wasn't broken, but she knew that it would hurt like hell. Malfoy fell to the ground and Devyn stood over him.

"_**You better consider yourself lucky that I'm exercising some self control, because if I wasn't…you would regret ever being born. Consider yourself lucky all I did was punch you,**_" Devyn snarled at him. She walked away from him and started walking back to the castle. Hagrid looked shocked, Harry looked unsurprised, Hermione looked like she was trying to be disapproving and Ron simply looked gleeful.

But Devyn didn't care. There was only one person she wanted to see right now. Neville.


	28. Chapter 28

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 28**

Devyn was exhausted. After the ordeal in the Dark Forest, Devyn was emotionally drained. She felt fine physically, but her emotions were just drained completely.

When she, Harry, Hermione, and Ron finally got back to the Common Room, they found Neville waiting up for them again. At the sight of her best friend, her heart swelled and she felt some of her strength come back to her.

"What happened? What did you guys have to do? Devyn…are you all right?" Neville asked. Devyn supposed her face must have been expressing how drained she felt, and of course, Neville noticed it right away. That was one thing she loved about him; he was so much more considerate than other boys her age.

She shrugged and walked up to Neville. When she looked him in the eye, she felt her resolve crumbling again and she dissolved into tears before shaking her head 'no' and launching herself into Neville's arms. Neville was flustered, of course, but he hugged her nonetheless.

"Devyn, what's wrong? What's happened?"

But Devyn couldn't speak. She just cried onto her best friend's shoulder. Neville looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry looked concerned for Devyn, Hermione looked close to tears herself, but Ron simply looked confused.

"We went into the Dark Forest with Hagrid," Harry told Neville.

"What?"

"Yeah, and our job was to find an injured Unicorn that was hurt badly by something. And Devyn and I found it first."

"Oh no," Neville said, looking downcast. "Was it -?"

"Dead. It had been killed and something was drinking it's blood."

Neville sighed and closed his eyes. That was horrible. "But what could have hurt the Unicorn? They're really fast and almost impossible to catch. Even werewolves aren't fast enough."

Devyn didn't even care that Neville made a comment about werewolves. However, that might have just been because it was Neville, and he was only commenting on their great speed, and not insulting them.

"Well, we found out," Devyn said, lifting her head from Neville's shoulder and letting him go. Neville's arms remained around her waist for a few seconds longer before he let go, blushing slightly.

"So what was it?"

Devyn shook her head and said, "It wasn't a 'what'; it was a 'who'."

"Wait a human did this?" Neville asked. Again Devyn shook her head and said, "Someone less than human. A monster – Voldemort."

"W-What? You-Know-Who? He's here at Hogwarts?"

"He can't be!" Hermione tried to reason. "He's dead!"

"No, he isn't Hermione," Neville replied. "I don't know what happened to him…that night," Harry frowned at the reference to Halloween night in 1981 and his parents' murders, "but he wasn't killed. Gran always said that he wasn't dead, and I believe that, too. So," he turned back to Devyn, who had collapsed onto the couch, "it was You-Know-Who, then?"

Devyn nodded and said, "Yeah. Only he would be able to hurt and kill something as pure and innocent as a Unicorn. I hate him. You didn't see the Unicorn, Neville. It was the saddest thing I've ever seen. It w-was j-just lying there, b-broken a-and t-that monster was d-drinking its blood…" Devyn trailed off, breaking into fresh sobs. She buried her head in her hands and said no more. She felt Neville sit down next to her and wrap his arms around her.

As for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they were a little frightened at Devyn's reaction over the Unicorn. They'd never seen her so broken and vulnerable. She put up a strong front, but for the first time, her friends were seeing the emotional and sensitive girl that was inside. She was only twelve years old after all.

Neville, to be honest, didn't care how emotional Devyn got. Right now, all he saw was his best friend needing someone to hold her and tell her it would be all right. She needed him. And he was going to be there for her, even if it meant holding her and letting her cry all night.

When Devyn cried her last tears and sat up, she looked at Neville and said, "Thanks for letting me cry on you."

"What are best friends for?" he answered with a smile. Devyn smiled back at him and Neville said, "Now that's more like it."

"I can't believe he's out there," Ron suddenly said. For the first time, Devyn looked at her other three friends. Ron and Hermione were sitting in chairs near the fire, but Harry was standing, looking serious.

"You mean, You-Know-Who's out there, right now, in the forest?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Devyn nodded and Harry said, "But he's weak. He's living off the unicorns. Don't you see?" He sounded exasperated. "We had it wrong! Snape doesn't want the Stone for himself; he wants the Stone for Voldemort. With the Elixir of Life, Voldemort will be strong again. He'll –"

"-He'll come back," Devyn finished for him. Harry nodded and sat down, looking grave but also a little relieved that at least one person realized the seriousness of the situation and the prospect.

"But if he comes back," Ron said, "you don't think he'll try to kill you, do you?"

Harry thought for a second and said, "I think if he'd had the chance, he might have tried to kill me tonight. And Devyn, too. He wouldn't be able to leave any witnesses."

Devyn nodded and Neville looked horrified at the thought of her dying. Ron gulped and said, "And to think, I've been worrying about my Potions final."

Hermione then said, "Hang on a minute. We're forgetting one thing. Who's the one wizard Voldemort always feared?"

It didn't escape Devyn's notice that Hermione said the name, but she wasn't going to comment on it. As for Hermione's question, Devyn knew the answer, but the boys shrugged.

"Dumbledore!" Hermione answered for them. "As long as Dumbledore's around, you're safe. As long as Dumbledore's around, you can't be touched."

Harry smiled slightly, looking a little reassured. Devyn, on the other hand, was **not**.

The fact was, Dumbledore wasn't there tonight. They were alone and they had come very close to dying. Hermione might be right on some level, because Dumbledore _was_ the only wizard Voldemort ever feared, but Dumbledore was only one man. He couldn't be everywhere at once. He wasn't there tonight and they almost died.

Devyn knew they couldn't rely on Dumbledore to save them if they got in a fix. And now, thinking back on it, even if Devyn had thrown any jinxes at Voldemort, they wouldn't have done anything. They were only five first-years, going up against one of the darkest wizards of all time. Needless to say, their chances weren't all that high.


	29. Chapter 29

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 29**

Despite the recent events, Devyn felt truly happy today. Why? THEY HAD FINALLY FINISHED WITH THEIR FINALS!

As much as she loved Hogwarts and her classes, she was so glad that Finals week was over. She had just taken her last final, in History of Magic. It had been entirely boring, but she was fairly sure that she had gotten an 'Exceeds Expectations', if not an 'Outstanding'.

They had been released from Binns' class ten minutes ago, and now she, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were walking across one of the courtyards.

"I always heard Hogwarts' end of the year exams were frightful, but I found that rather enjoyable," Hermione said. Devyn laughed at the statement – it was the sort of thing only Hermione would say.

Ron, on the other hand, looked dumbfounded. "Speak for yourself," he told her. Devyn noticed Harry was rubbing at his scar again.

"All right there, Harry?" Ron asked, as he too noticed it.

"My scar. It keeps burning," Harry replied.

"It's happened before," Hermione told him.

"Not like this," Harry said.

"Perhaps you should see the nurse," Ron suggested.

"I think it's a warning. It means danger's coming. Ugh…" Harry rubbed his scar again and Devyn looked up when she heard Hagrid playing a flute. It was a nice sound and she started to walk over to Hagrid, when Harry said, "Oh, of course!"

"What is it?" Hermione asked him. Harry started toward Hagrid and said, "Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants, more than anything, is a dragon and a stranger shows up and just happens to have one? I mean, how many people wander around with dragon eggs in their pocket? Why didn't I see it before?"

Devyn had been wondering the same thing for ages and felt a little silly for not saying anything before now. The five of them ran up to Hagrid and Harry said, "Hagrid, who gave you the dragon egg?"

_Well, at least he doesn't beat around the bush_, Devyn thought.

"What did he look like?" Harry asked. Hagrid looked at him and said, "I dunno. I never saw his face. He kept his hood up."

Devyn groaned quietly and thought, _And Hagrid didn't find this odd…?_

"This stranger, though…you and he must have talked," Harry prompted.

"Well, he…he wanted to know what sort of creatures I looked after," Hagrid said, thinking back on it. "I told him, I said, 'After Fluffy, a dragon's gonna be no problem.'"

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Devyn asked.

Hagrid looked at her funny and said, "Well, o' course, he was interested in Fluffy. How often do yeh come across a three-headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I told him, I said, 'The trick with any beast is to know how to calm him.' Take Fluffy for example."

Devyn felt as though one of Hagrid's great slip-ups was about to show up and she wasn't disappointed; Hagrid then said, "Play him a bit of music and he falls straight to sleep."

The four of them looked at each other, excitedly and worriedly. This meant that Snape knew how to get past Fluffy! This was so bad! But, at the very least, the one consolation was that they knew how now, too.

Hagrid realized his mistake and said, "I shouldn't have told you that."

The four of them ran as Hagrid called out, "Where are you going? Wait!"

* * *

Devyn once again ran faster than anyone and she knew exactly where they needed to go. She knew who they needed to find: McGonagall.

She ran straight to McGonagall's classroom and the three others followed her. When they reached McGonagall's classroom, Devyn was the only one not heaving for breath.

She stopped right in front of McGonagall's desk and said to her, "We have to see Professor Dumbledore, immediately!"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had caught up with her and were now standing at her side.

"I'm afraid Professor Dumbledore is not here," McGonagall said. Devyn's jaw dropped open and McGonagall continued, "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and left immediately for London."

"He's gone?! Now?" Harry said, shocked. "But this is important! It's about the Sorcerer's Stone!"

"How do you know-?" asked McGonagall, a shocked look on her face.

"Someone's going to try and steal it!" Devyn told her.

"I don't know how you five found out about the Stone, but I can assure you it is perfectly well-protected. Now would you go back to your dormitories? Quietly."

They left reluctantly and as they walked down the hall, Devyn said, "That was no stranger Hagrid met in the village. It was Snape, which means he knows how to get past Fluffy."

"And with Dumbledore gone –" Hermione cut herself off as none other than the Dungeon Bat himself, Snape, appeared behind them.

"Now what would four young Gryffindors such as yourselves," he said, as Harry and Devyn turned around to face him, "be doing inside, on a day like this?"

He looked at Hermione, who stuttered, "Uh, w-we…we were just –"

"You want to be careful," Snape told them. "People will think you're," he broke off when he noticed Devyn and Harry death-glaring him and looked momentarily surprised, "up to something."

Snape walked away after glaring at them and Hermione said, distressed, "Now what do we do?"

Harry and Devyn looked at each other and they both said, "We go down the trap door. Tonight."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun…! Okay, not really, you all knew that was coming. Isn't this exciting? We're getting down to the last chapters. I figure four or five more chapters to go before Devyn's first year comes to a close. Please keep reading and reviewing. I know previously someone said that they wished I waited on the Devyn/Neville stuff, because it seemed weird to them now. And I think I may have addressed this in a prior chapter, but the fact is that Devyn is twelve years old. She's going to start liking boys, and she's starting to like Neville. It is as weird to her as it is to anyone else. He's her best friend and she doesn't want to ruin anything by crushing on him.**

**Of course, the heart wants what the heart wants. Don't worry though, I won't be pairing them together until probably the third installment. HOWEVER, in between then and now, she is going to be feeling something, and Neville will be too, sooner or later. I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but I can't guarantee anything. **

**So anyway, keep an eye out for the next chapter, when our heroes go down the trap door and face "Snape"…nah, just kidding, you all know who it is – QUIRREL-MORT!**


	30. Chapter 30

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**AN: So, last chapter I got a review from a Guest user named Ali and they pointed out that "Quirrell-Mort" is not a scary name. That was my point. It wasn't supposed to be scary. Sorry if you thought that I was trying to scare you. That wasn't what I was going for. So, anyway, on with the story.**

**Chapter 30**

Devyn, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were walking down the stairs into the Common Room. Devyn wondered where Neville was, but then she saw Trevor. That's when she knew Neville was already down here. Trevor probably made another bid for freedom and Neville got caught up in trying to trap his toad again.

The other three registered the noise of Trevor's "ribbeting", which Devyn's oddly finely tuned ears caught first.

"Trevor," Harry said. Ron, who was carrying Harry's wonderful Invisibility Cloak, shushed Trevor and said, "Trevor, go, you shouldn't be here."

And then Neville popped out from behind one of the chairs. He was wearing his pajamas and said, "Neither should you."

"Neville, what are you doing?" Devyn asked him.

"You're sneaking out again, aren't you?"

"Now, Neville, listen, we were –" she tried to explain what they had heard earlier that day, and what they were doing now.

"No! I won't let you!" Neville exclaimed, looking surprised with himself. Devyn stared at him as though she had never seen him before. Why would Neville be trying to stop them from saving the Stone?

"Neville, Snape is going after the Stone tonight!" Devyn told him, trying to reason with her best friend. "We have to stop him! We're the only ones who know the truth!"

"No! You'll get Gryffindor into trouble again!"

"Are you kidding me, Neville? That's what you're worried about? Listen; if Snape gets the Stone and gives it to Voldemort, there won't be a Gryffindor left to get into trouble! He'll destroy everything, just like he did last time! Don't you understand?"

"I don't care, Devyn! I won't let you put yourself in danger like this!"

"Neville, I-" Devyn thought this was very sweet of him, but she didn't have time for this, didn't he understand?

"I don't care what I have to do to stop you. I…I'll fight you!" Neville told them, raising his fists. Devyn was shocked. Never in a million years did she ever think _Neville_, of all people, would raise a fist to her. She knew not to take it personally; Neville was just scared, but still…this was Neville!

Hermione, evidently, had had enough. "Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this."

Devyn knew what Hermione was about to do. "I'm sorry, Neville. We have no choice," she told him, right before Hermione took out her wand and said, "_Petrificus Totalus_!"

Neville turned blue and he froze completely, his arms sticking to his sides and his legs snapping together. He fell over backwards and hit the ground with a thump.

Hermione put away her wand and Ron gulped and said, "You're a little scary sometimes. You know that? Brilliant, but _scary_."

Devyn laughed in spite of herself. Harry just looked at Neville and said, "Let's go."

He stepped over Neville and said, "Sorry."

Hermione also apologized after she walked by him and Ron said, "It's for your own good, you know."

Devyn, however, stopped. She kneeled down next to Neville and said, "I'm sorry about this. You'll understand later. And if for some reason, I don't come back tonight…I want you to know I love you, Neville. You're my best friend and you'll always be my best friend, no matter what. And I love you."

She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Neville's forehead before standing up and walking away with the others. Hermione looked at her with an understanding smile on her face.

"What?" Devyn asked her. Hermione shook her head and said, "You like him, don't you?"

"Of course I like him. He's my best friend," Devyn said. She knew what Hermione was getting at. She wasn't stupid, but she wanted Hermione to just ask her straightforward.

"That's not what I meant. You really like him. You _like-_like him."

Devyn giggled at the silly phrase and Hermione said, "Well, you know what I mean. You do, don't you?"

Devyn thought about it for a moment. Yes, she liked Neville, but she wasn't sure just how deep her feelings for him went at the moment. Of course, she was only twelve, so it was only natural she didn't know how she felt about Neville, beyond friendship that was.

She was fairly sure that she, as much as she hated the phrase, _like _-liked Neville, but she didn't know completely. So she looked at Hermione and said, "I don't know. I mean, I think I do, but I don't know. I've never…I mean, I haven't…Neville's my first crush."

Hermione nodded and said, "I haven't had my first crush yet."

"Oh. You will, don't worry."

Hermione said, "Oh, I know I will. But as for you, considering that this _is _your first crush, I don't suppose you'd know how it feels. Only time will tell, I suppose."

"Yeah…anyway, don't we have a Stone to save?"

Hermione nodded and the two of them went under the Invisibility Cloak with Harry and Ron.

* * *

"Ow, you stood on my foot!" Hermione cried. Devyn rolled her eyes as Ron said, "Sorry."

This was the fourth time Ron had stood on Hermione's foot. It was funny the first time, but now it was just annoying. Happily, they reached their destination and a flame lit up.

Devyn pulled out her wand and pointed it at Fluffy's door and said, "_Alohomora_."

The door creaked open and they walked inside. A great blow of air and some peaceful music, courtesy of a harp that was playing itself, met them when they walked through the door.

"Wait a minute," Ron said, as another blow of air pushed the Invisibility Cloak off. "He's sleeping!"

And it was true. Fluffy was indeed fast asleep. Personally, Devyn liked Fluffy better this way. Harry looked at the harp and said what Devyn already realized: "Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the lamp."

They approached Fluffy carefully and when they got close to him, Ron said, "Ugh! It's got horrible breath!"

"It's a giant dog, Ron. Of course, it's not going to have minty-fresh breath," Devyn said. She looked down at the trap door and noticed that Fluffy's paw was covering it.

"We have to move its paw."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed. Harry looked at him and said, "Come on."

The four of them grabbed Fluffy's paw and Harry said, "Okay, push!" They pushed as hard as they could and Fluffy's paw was out of their way. Devyn pulled open the trap door and Harry said, "Devyn and I'll go first. Don't follow until we give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out."

It suddenly grew very quiet and Devyn's heart sank when she noticed that the harp had stopped playing. Harry realized the silence seconds later and said, "Does it seem a bit…quiet?"

Hermione looked thoughtful and said, "The harp; it stopped playing."

Devyn looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Fluffy's eyes were open. She looked back at her friends and said, "Okay. Don't panic. No sudden movements. Fluffy's awake. Nobody say anyth-"

"Ew! Yuck!" Ron exclaimed when drool fell onto his shoulder from one of the heads. "Ugh."

Fluffy started thrashing and growling. He broke both the harp and the trap door. Devyn closed her eyes and lurched forward, throwing herself into the pitch black trapdoor. Harry said, "JUMP! GO!" He went in after her and seconds later they both found themselves on a soft plant of some sort.

Thankfully, Devyn paid attention in Herbology and recognized it as soon as Ron landed and said, "Whoa. Lucky this plant thing's here, really."

It was Devil's Snare! She had to move quickly. She tried to escape but – too late!

"Whoa!" Harry exclaimed when the vines started wrapping around him. Devyn was already trapped and Ron and Hermione followed quickly.

Harry and Ron were struggling against the vines, but Hermione and Devyn tried to stay as still as possible.

"Stop moving, both of you!" Devyn commanded. "This is Devil's Snare!"

"You have to relax," Hermione told them. Devyn nodded and said, "If you don't, it'll only kill you faster."

"Kill us faster?!" Ron shouted. "Oh, now I can relax!"

Hermione smiled grimly before she and Devyn were both sucked down. They fell to the stone below and although they were a little bruised from the fall, they were both okay.

"Hermione! Devyn!" Harry and Ron shouted.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Ron fretted.

"JUST RELAX!" Hermione called up at them.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. "Where are you?!"

"Do what we say! Trust us!" Devyn yelled back.

Evidently Harry relaxed because seconds later, Harry fell through to the stone below also.

"AH! HARRY!" Ron panicked. "HARRY!"

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Yeah," he replied, "yeah, I'm fine."

"HELP! HELP ME!" Ron screamed, completely losing his head.

"He's not relaxing is he?" Hermione asked.

"Apparently not," Harry answered. They had to do something. Devyn blocked out Ron's screams for help and remembered:

_Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare_

_Deadly fun_

_But will sulk in the sun_

**That was it!**

"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed. "Devil's Snare hates sunlight!"

Devyn whipped out her wand, pointed up at the vines and yelled, "_LUMOS SOLEM!_"

A beam of blinding sunlight shot out of her wand and hit the vines. The effect was instantaneous. They recoiled and Ron fell through, yelling.

"Ron, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ron told him. He stood up and said, "Whew. Lucky we didn't panic."

The other three stared at him and Harry said, "Lucky these two pay attention in Herbology."

Devyn's head snapped to attention when she heard a curious noise. It sounded like…like wings. Tiny wings, millions of them, all flapping at once.

"What is that?" Hermione asked. She must have heard the noise too.

"Sounds like wings," Harry commented.

They continued on their way, and she didn't know about the others, but Devyn was feeling slightly more confident now that they had beaten Sprout's challenge. They were bruised and covered in dust and dirt, but they had beaten one challenge. Their chances of winning just went up.

They came onto another room and looked up. There were tons of winged creatures up above them, flying around. They didn't look like birds, Devyn concluded.

_No they're not! They're not birds, they're keys! Weird… _Devyn thought as she looked up.

"Curious. I've never seen birds like these," Hermione said. Devyn shook her head and Harry said, "They're not birds. They're keys. And I'll bet one of them fits that door!"

They looked across the room and there was a door. Harry noticed a broomstick suspended in air and Hermione said, "What's all this about?"

"I don't know. Strange…" Harry said, almost to himself. He ran his hand through the air above the broom and Ron walked over to the door. He pulled out his wand and said, "_Alohomora_!"

Unsurprisingly, it didn't work. Ron shrugged and said, "Well, it was worth a try."

"Ugh, what are we going to do?!" Hermione said, clearly frustrated. "There must be a thousand keys up there!"

Ron inspected the door handle and said, "We're looking for a big old-fashioned one. Probably rusty like the handle."

Devyn scanned the numerous keys above her and quickly located it. "There!" she said, pointing. "I see it. The one with the broken wing."

The key they needed was flying along in a pathetic sort of way, because it couldn't fly right with a broken wing. Devyn felt kind of sorry for the poor thing, even if it was just a key.

Harry looked at the broom and frowned. "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked him.

"It's too simple."

Devyn knew what Harry was talking about and she found she agreed with him. It was too simple.

"Oh, go on, Harry," Ron said, bracingly. "If Snape can catch it on that old broomstick, you can! You're the youngest Seeker in a century!"

Harry nodded, reassured, and grabbed the broom.

And the second he did, every key in the room swarmed him. Harry climbed on the broom, swiping at the keys furiously, but it did no good. They keys weren't to be deterred.

"This complicates things a bit," Ron commented, looking slightly worried. Harry pushed off into the air and flied off after the key with the broken wing. Every other key followed him as he did and then suddenly –he caught the key!

"Catch the key!" he shouted at them. He zoomed by and threw it at Hermione, who jumped up in the air and caught it. She handed it to Devyn while Harry distracted the other keys by flying around in all sorts of turns and loop-the-loops. Devyn shoved it in the lock and Ron said, "Hurry up!"

Devyn opened the door and they rushed through, Harry following the other three seconds later. Devyn slammed the door just in time – she could hear each individual key slam into the door. Some of them stuck there, like spears against the wooden door.

Devyn turned around and found herself in a very, _very _dark room. Luckily, her super sharp eyesight kicked into high gear and she found herself able to see, just like she had in the Forest. Hermione turned around and gasped. She pointed at Devyn, who said, "What? Hermione, what's wrong?"

"Y-Your eyes!" Hermione said. Harry and Ron turned and they too looked shocked when they looked at Devyn.

Devyn was confused. "What about my eyes?"

"Devyn, they're…they're **glowing**!"

"What? No, they're not!" Devyn said. How could her eyes be glowing?

"Yes, they are! Devyn, your eyes are glowing green, like a cat's!" Harry said.

"Or a wolf," Ron added. Devyn glared at him and said, "Will you stop with the werewolf stuff? I already told you, I'm not a werewolf!"

"No, she isn't. I think I might have noticed if one of my best friends turned into a animal every month," Hermione said. "But you could be…well, it's unlikely, considering how young you are, but you could be an Animagus."

"A what?" Ron and Harry said. But Devyn frowned. She knew what that was. McGonagall told her about them when she was describing her dad and his friends, way back when they first met last summer. God, it seemed like ages ago now.

"You mean, I could be turning into an animal, of my own free will?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean! Oh, Devyn, think…that would explain your sharp hearing, and your eyes glowing, and your speed. Devyn, I think…well, I don't know…but…Devyn, think. Think really hard about turning into an animal. Try and see the animal in your mind's eye."

Devyn closed her evidently glowing eyes and then she saw it. It was a beautiful silver and white wolf, howling at the moonlight. The wolf looked at her and she saw the glowing green eyes. The eyes looked like hers. _No, wait,_ Devyn thought. The eyes morphed from glowing green to bright blue – Just. Like. Hers.

And then, she felt it. Her body shifted and she shrank a little bit, dropping to all fours. She sprouted fur and her teeth grew longer and sharper. Her hands became paws and her nails became claws. She felt strong and powerful. She opened her eyes and she could see everything. She could hear **everything**. This was amazing. She wasn't very large, but that might have been because she was still young.

She walked almost silently over to Hermione and brushed up against her. Hermione gasped when she felt Devyn's fur, but then she bent down and started petting the wolf she had become.

When Hermione's hand crossed her muzzle, Devyn pressed her head into Hermione's hand.

"Oh, I wish I could see you. I want to see what you became," Hermione said, as Devyn walked over to Harry and Ron. Harry ran his hand through her fur and smiled. When Devyn turned to Ron, she could smell his fear. It wasn't a pleasant smell, and Ron was kind of shaking when she went near him.

Because she didn't want to scare him anymore, she focused on becoming human again and after some really hard thinking, she transformed back into a human.

"Devyn? Is that you?" Ron asked, his voice shaking.

"Yeah, Ron, it's me."

"What did you become?" Hermione asked.

"A silver and white wolf," Devyn said, with a grin.

"Oh, wow. What did it feel like?"

"It felt amazing…I was so strong. I could see and hear everything. I could smell everything. Ron was afraid of me."

"I was **not**!" Ron protested. Devyn rolled her eyes and said, "Ron, I smelled your fear. You were terrified. I wasn't going to hurt you."

"Sorry. I guess it just unnerved me…"

"It's cool. So anyway, where are we?"

"I don't know. I don't like this. I don't like this at all," Hermione said.

"Where _are _we? A graveyard…?" Harry said.

"This is no graveyard," Ron said, as he walked forward. "It's a chessboard."

* * *

**So, what did you think? We're very near the end. And Devyn's an Animagus, and a wolf Animagus at that! Did you guys see that coming? or did I surprise you? Now, because she's still so young, she won't really be able to completely control her transformations yet. It'll peek out whenever she's really stressed or angry, or when her adrenaline is high. She didn't even realize she was doing some of it when she was running or when she could see perfectly fine in the Forest. So, tell me what you thought!**


	31. Chapter 31

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**Chapter 31**

Ron, for once, was right. The flames in the holders came to life and they were standing in front of a giant – and she meant, FLIPPIN' ENORMOUS – chessboard.

"This is weird…" Devyn said.

"Says the girl who just morphed into a wolf," Ron replied, a laugh present on his face. Devyn rolled her eyes and said, "Oi, watch it, ginger."

Devyn knew he was only joking, which made her feel more at ease about the whole Animagus stuff that just happened.

_Wait till Moony finds out. I wonder if he'll be angry or happy that my animal is a wolf…_ Devyn thought. However, as this was not the time to worry about Moony, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind.

Ron was currently standing in front of the black pieces and Devyn and the other walked over to join him. The chess pieces were massive and rather intimidating.

"There's the door!" Harry exclaimed, pointing in front of him. Sure enough, behind the white pieces, there was a door that would lead them one step closer to stopping Snape.

They walked forward to the door, but were stopped by the pawns; they wielded their swords and blocked their path by crossing them together.

"Damn," Devyn said quietly. They should have known it wasn't going to be that easy. Of course, this set up could only belong to McGonagall, and with McGonagall nothing was ever easy. Considering they couldn't just walk through to the door, Devyn figured they would have to play across the room. Luckily, they had Ron with them. If anyone could beat McGonagall's chess set, it would be the youngest male Weasley.

They backed away slowly from the pawns and eventually they sheathed their swords again.

"Now what do we do?" Hermione asked quietly.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron told her. "We've got to play our way across the room." Ron stood in front of them, looking very serious and said, "Alright, Harry and Devyn, you take the empty Bishops' squares. Hermione, you'll be the Queen's side castle. As for me," he drew himself up to his full height, "I'll be a Knight."

They all took their places after Devyn gave Ron a boost up to his marble horse.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked. Devyn thought for a moment and said, "Well, white moves first…"

Devyn looked to Ron, who finished her thought. "And then…we play."

Sure enough, a white pawn moved out and Ron looked around at their pawns to see which to move. "Ron," Hermione said, "you don't suppose this is going to be like _real_ Wizard's Chess, do you?"

Ron knitted his eyebrows together before pointing and calling to one of the pawns, "You there, D5!"

The pawn moved out and the white pawn got out its swords and absolutely demolished the black pawn. Devyn's eyes widened and then she closed them. _Perfect. This is just…wonderful._

Hermione jumped when some marble and dust came flying at her and Ron said, "Yes, Hermione, I think this is gonna be _**exactly **_like Wizard's Chess."

And then they started playing. To his credit, Ron was a great Chess player, but they lost so many of their pieces. Granted, their opponents lost just as many, but they were being magically controlled, whereas their pieces were being controlled by a twelve year old human. Devyn felt the white side had a bit of an advantage.

"Castle to E4! Pawn to C3!" Ron would shout. Each time that he did, more pieces got demolished. And then, Ron stopped, looking stumped and worried at the same time, just after the white Queen crushed one of their pieces to dust. Quite a few times, they had to duck to avoid being clobbered by the airborne chunks of marble that would come at them after the piece had been stabbed or beheaded or whatever else by another piece. However, they had all been scratched by some pieces and Harry was bleeding a little. Devyn had a few scrapes but she wasn't bothered by them right now.

"Wait a minute," Harry said, looking around. Devyn did the same and then realized the problem. The white Queen was there…still protecting the King. If they were going to win, someone needed to distract the Queen away from protecting the King. It couldn't be Devyn, or Harry, or Hermione. Ron was the Knight. He could do it. But that would mean…

"Ron NO!" Devyn shouted.

"You understand right, you two. Once I make my move, Harry, you're free to check the King."

"No, Ron, NO!" Harry yelled.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, not understanding chess at all. Devyn looked at her and said, "He's going to sacrifice himself."

"NO YOU CAN'T! There must be another way!"

Unfortunately, there was no other way. This was it. If they wanted to stop Snape from getting the Stone, then Ron would have to do it. It was horrible, but it wasn't any less true.

"Do you wanna stop Snape from getting that Stone or not?" Ron asked her. She fell silent and he turned to Harry and Devyn. "Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me, not Hermione, you! Devyn can go with you; she'll be able to help you. But we have to stay behind."

Harry looked solemn but then nodded. Ron turned forward and gripped the marble reins of his horse. He took a deep breath and said, "Knight to H3."

His piece started to move and then it slid in front of the White Queen. "Check," Ron said. The Queen turned and advanced on him. Devyn could hear Ron's breathing quicken, smell the terror radiating off him. She pressed her hands into her eyes, willing herself to focus on the present. She couldn't transform now. _Focus, Devyn, focus_, she thought.

When Devyn looked up again, she saw the Queen raise its sword and plunge into the horse's side. It crumbled and Ron screamed as he fell off it onto the ground. He landed hard and it looked as though he was knocked out. Devyn wanted to run over to him, make sure he was all right, but she knew she couldn't move – they were still in play.

"RON!" Harry yelled. Hermione made to move towards him but Harry flung out a hand to stop her. "NO! Don't move! Don't forget, we're still playing."

Hermione stopped and remained in her square. Harry took a deep breath before walking towards the King. He stared up at the freakishly tall chess piece and said, "Checkmate."

The King's sword fell from his hands and crashed to the ground with a loud clang. They had done it. _Ron _had done it. They had won. They could move on. The three of them let out breaths and immediately rushed over to Ron.

Devyn reached him first and pressed two fingers to the side of his neck, right where his carotid artery was. She could feel his heartbeat and breathed easier, knowing he was okay. Harry and Devyn looked at Hermione and Harry said, "Take care of Ron. Then go to the Owlery. Send a message to Dumbledore. Ron's right…Devyn and I have to go on."

Hermione nodded and said, "You'll be okay, Harry. You're a great wizard, and you're a great witch, Devyn. You really are."

"Not as good as you," Harry said. Hermione smiled and said, "Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship and bravery. And, Harry, Devyn, just be careful."

Harry nodded and Devyn said, "We will, Hermione."

And with that they walked away from Hermione and Ron and walked through the door into the last chamber.

* * *

Devyn couldn't believe her eyes. They had walked down a staircase into the last chamber, which had a large mirror in it. Devyn recognized it from Harry's description of it – it was the Mirror of Erised. The mirror that showed you your heart's deepest desires.

But that wasn't what was boggling her mind. Standing in front of the Mirror was a man, but it wasn't Snape. It was a man wearing a turban. It was Quirrell.

"You?" Harry exclaimed, clutching at his scar. Quirrell turned around and Harry said, "No. It can't be. Snape…he was the one."

"Yes. He does seem the type, doesn't he?" Quirrell remarked. "Next to him, who would suspect 'p-p-poor s-stuttering Professor Quirrell'?"

"B-But, that day, during the Quidditch match, Snape tried to kill me!" Harry said. He looked at Devyn, but she had no words. Her mind was reeling. She couldn't believe this! She liked Quirrell – defended him, even, against people who made fun of his stutter! And all this time, it was **fake**. She felt foolish. She felt confused. But most of all, she felt angry.

"No, dear boy," Quirrell said, his facial expression darkening. "**I **tried to kill you. And trust me, if Snape's cloak hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact, I would have succeeded…even with Snape muttering his little…counter-curse."

"Snape…was trying to save me?" Harry said, bewildered. Devyn felt her anger reach a boiling point. She saw red. This was the man who nearly killed Harry. This was the one who let the troll in, because who else could it have been, and almost killed Hermione! **THIS WAS THE MAN TRYING TO RESURRECT VOLDEMORT!**

Devyn growled at him and Quirrell almost seemed surprised. "You…you tried to kill my best friends. You…you should be locked up…you awful…"

And then she snapped, "**I SHOULD RIP YOUR THROAT OUT RIGHT NOW!**"

Quirrell looked shocked but then sneered at her. She bore her teeth and felt the Animagus shift coming on. She would tear this creep limb from limb, she would – but Harry held her back when she tried to charge.

The hand he placed on her shoulder calmed her down enough that she stopped trying to rush at Quirrell. The turban-wearing Professor looked at Devyn and said, "Quite a temper you've got there, Murphy."

"Yeah, well, I don't appreciate when someone tries to kill people I care about."

He ignored this and turned to Harry, "I knew you were a danger to me right from the off. Especially after Halloween.

"I KNEW IT!" Devyn yelled at him.

"T-Then you let the troll in," Harry said. Quirrell nodded and said, "Very good, Potter, yes. Snape, unfortunately, wasn't fooled. When everyone else was running about the dungeons, he went to the third floor to head me off. He, of course, never trusted me again. He rarely left me alone."

Quirrell turned back to the Mirror and Harry clutched at his scar again. "But he doesn't understand," Quirrell continued, "I'm never alone. Never. Now, what does this Mirror do? I see what I desire. I see myself holding the Stone. But how do I get it?"

Devyn was still seething with too much anger and hate to care what Quirrell said, but when a disembodied voice said, "Use the boy," Devyn snapped to attention.

_Now where could that have come from?_ Devyn thought, looking all around. Quirrell turned around and said, "COME HERE, POTTER – **NOW**!"

"Harry, no-" Devyn started, but Quirrell looked at her and summoned a gag to silence her. She tried to remove it, but it was stuck on by magic.

_Oh I know he didn't just silence me. Oh, this freak is gonna get it._

Harry walked forward after looking at Devyn, frightened, and stopped next to Quirrell.

"Tell me…what do you see?" Quirrell asked him.

_Lie, Harry, just lie._

Harry looked into the mirror and although Devyn couldn't see what he saw, she bet that it had something to do with the Stone. That was probably the trick – the Mirror was the key to getting the Stone. Sure enough, Harry reached down slowly and squeezed his pocket, a oddly shaped lump there now that wasn't there before.

Harry gasped softly and Quirrell said, "What is it?! What do you see?!"

"I-I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore. I-I've won the House Cup."

_Oh, Harry, come on…you can do better than that!_ Devyn thought desperately. And just as she feared, the disembodied voice called out again, "He lies!"

"**TELL THE TRUTH! WHAT DO YOU SEE?**" Quirrell yelled at him. Devyn supposed he thought himself scary or intimidating. Truth be told, she was just annoyed with him. He was pretty irritating and this stupid gag was angering her even further.

"Let me speak to him," the voice said. Quirrell frowned and said, "Master you are not strong enough!"

_Master? Oh, you have got to be __**kidding**__ me! Voldemort is here, _Devyn thought, now more annoyed and angry than ever.

"I have strength enough for **this**," the voice said. Quirrell, like an obedient little puppy, started to unwrap his turban. Harry backed away from him and Devyn walked forward to stand with Harry. Quirrell turned to face them so that when he removed his turban, they would see the back of his head.

Devyn thought this was a strange thing to do until she saw the back of Quirrell's head. Except it wasn't the back of his head. There was another face attached to it. The second face was veiny and pale. It was a horrid sight to behold. It was Voldemort.

"Harry Potter," Voldemort said, although it was more like he hissed. "We meet…again."

"Voldemort…" Harry breathed.

"Yes," Voldemort said. "You see what I've become? See what I must do to survive? Live off another…a mere parasite. Unicorn blood can sustain me, but it cannot give me a body of my own."

Again Devyn saw red. It had been Quirrell that killed those Unicorns…

"But, there is something that can," continued Voldemort. "Something that, conveniently enough, lies in your pocket."

Harry and Devyn tried to run but Voldemort shouted, "Stop them!"

Quirrell snapped his fingers and great flames popped out from nowhere, blocking the exits. Now Devyn would have been perfectly prepared to jump through them, but Harry stopped and she would not leave without Harry. Moony instructed her to look out for him, to protect him – and she would do so, even if it meant her death.

"Don't be a fool, Harry," Voldemort told him. "Why suffer a horrific death when you can join me and live?"

"NEVER!" Harry shouted, shaking his head.

"What about you, Devyn? Remove the gag, Quirrell. Let the girl speak."

Quirrell did as Voldemort commanded and Devyn immediately yelled, "I'LL JOIN YOU WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER, MELTS, AND THEN REFREEZES!"

Voldemort laughed and said, "Bravery…both your parents had it too. Tell me, you two, would you like to see your mothers and fathers again? Together, we can bring them back."

In the mirror, James and Lily Potter and Michael and Victoria Murphy appeared. Devyn nearly cried upon seeing her parents in that mirror, but she refused to show weakness in front of Voldemort.

"All I ask is for something in return," Voldemort told them. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a blood red shimmering stone – The Sorcerer's Stone.

"That's it, Harry. There is no good and evil. Only power – and those too weak to seek it. Together, we'll do extraordinary things. JUST GIVE ME THE STONE!"

Their parents' images disappeared and Harry yelled, "YOU LIAR!"

"KILL HIM!" Voldemort commanded. Quirrell flew through the air and got a hand around Harry's throat. He knocked Harry down to the stairs and the Stone dropped just out of reach. Quirrell began choking Harry, and upon the sight of her friend gasping for air, Devyn lost all control and instantly morphed into the wolf.

_**Snow**__, __**child, call me Snow**__, _her wolf told her.

_Alright, Snow, let's do this_, Devyn thought. She let out a terrible snarl-like roar and leaped on Quirrell, locking her jaw around his arm. Her teeth sank into his arm and Quirrell cried out in pain.

_Good_, Devyn thought savagely. Quirrell started to try and shake her off, but it was no good. Her jaw was locked completely. She bit him harder and harder until he finally yelled, "_Repulso_!"

Devyn was thrown back from Quirrell and hit the opposite wall. She slumped to the ground with a whimper and started losing focus. She morphed back into a human just as Quirrell, bleeding profusely, squeezed harder on Harry's throat. She saw Harry abandon his attempts to grab the Stone and instead try and pry Quirrell's hand off him.

Devyn's breathing got more labored and she lifted a hand to her head and withdrew it to see blood – quite a lot of it. The second that Harry's hand touched Quirrell's bare skin, he began smoking and screaming. He backed off Harry at once, screaming in pain, and as his hand crumbled to dust, said, "What is this magic?!"

"Fool, get the Stone!" Voldemort yelled. Devyn tried to move towards the Stone and she managed to crawl a little bit before her vision almost blacked out and she stopped. She looked up with eyes that kept going in and out of focus to see Harry jump up and place his hands on Quirrell's face, and that too started smoking.

The last thing Devyn saw before her world went dark was Quirrell turning to stone and crumbling to dust. And then, she knew no more.


	32. Chapter 32

**I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.**

**AN: So here we are, the last chapter. It's probably going to be a long one, just so you know, but hold tight, cause here we go. Also, when it comes to the extra points that they receive in the end, I had to change the amount they got in order to factor in Devyn. Okay, this time it is for real, here we go.**

**Chapter 32**

"-she lost a lot of blood…" _Hermione?_

"-She held on as long as she could, but…" _Harry? Ron?_

"Wonder when she'll wake up."

The last voice jolted Devyn back into consciousness. For terrifying second, she thought she and Harry were still down there with Voldemort and Quirrell. But then she recalled Quirrell crumbling to dust – dying. He was dead and Voldemort had not risen once again.

Devyn's head was pounding. She tried to open her eyes and found that the light nearly blinded her. She clamped them shut again and tried to open her eyes _very_ slowly, so that her sight would come back to her eventually.

"She's awake!"

That voice that woke her sounded again – Harry? No….not Harry, Neville! It was Neville. Devyn reached up and felt her head, trying to figure out the source of her pain and found it wrapped in a bandages.

"What the-?" she muttered, trying to remember what happened. She remembered transforming and biting Quirrell, and then she was flung off into the wall behind her. She must have hit her head. She remembered feeling blood.

"N-Neville?" Devyn said quietly. "W-What happened? W-Where am I?"

"Devyn, it's okay," Neville said, as Devyn opened her eyes fully. "You're in the Hospital Wing."

"Oh. Okay. So, what happened to me?"

"You don't remember?"

"All I know is…that I hit my head…"

Neville had a very worried look on his face as he sat on the edge of her bed. "You did a little more damage than that. You cracked your skull open. It's amazing you survived, you lost so much blood. If Dumbledore hadn't gotten there when he did…"

"Wait, I cracked my skull open? Well, that would explain the bandages…"

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey mended your skull pretty quickly. You feel okay?"

"My head's killing me, but other than that, I'm fine."

Neville nodded and said, "McGonagall freaked when she heard what you, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had done. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw what had happened to you."

Devyn nodded but found the gesture made the pain in her head intensify, so she stopped. Holding her head, she said, "How are they? Harry, Ron, and Hermione, I mean."

"We're fine, Devyn," Ron called. Devyn turned to look at them and saw Ron was just fine, and Hermione was a little scratched, but other than that, she was fine too. But Harry…Devyn looked over to his bed and saw him unconscious.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Hermione said, looking worried.

"Well, it's only been a couple hours, hasn't it? Give him time, he'll come around."

"Er…" Ron started, looking awkward.

"What?" Devyn asked. Neville took her hand and said, "It hasn't been a couple hours, Devyn…it's been two days."

"**Two days**?" Devyn repeated. This was unbelievable. She had been knocked out cold for two – "Wait a minute, if I've been out for two days, that means I was in a coma!"

"Yeah," Neville replied. "Yeah you have. We didn't know how long it would be, honestly. Madam Pomfrey said comas are so unpredictable that even magic can't tell her anything about them. All she could do was make you comfortable and hope that you wake up on your own. Which you did!"

"That's why McGonagall freaked out…I was in a coma…"

"She called Remus," Neville told her. "He's on his way here now."

"She did _what_? Oh, perfect. He's probably having a heart attack too," Devyn said. It wasn't that she wasn't happy that Moony was coming; it's just that he would make a big deal out of it, and it wasn't. She suffered a head injury, she fell into a 48 hour long coma and now she was awake.

Sure enough, seconds later, Moony busted through the Hospital Wing doors and said loudly, "Where is she? Where's my goddaughter?"

Devyn waved and said, "Over here, Moony. And keep it down, Harry's still out. Madam Pomfrey might throw you out." Moony practically warped to her side and hugged her so tight she could barely breathe.

"Don't you ever, EVER do that to me again! When McGonagall told me what happened, I nearly went into cardiac arrest! Oh, Devyn, are you all right? How are you feeling? How's your head? I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner…I found a job while you were away and they wouldn't let me leave for a couple days to come see you, until I told them that my daughter was in the Hospital. Then they let me leave."

It didn't escape her notice that Moony referred to her as "my daughter". It didn't bother, but it was interesting to note.

"I'm fine, Moony, but do you think you could let me go. I kinda need to breathe," Devyn asked, her voice a little strained.

"Oh, sorry," Moony said, letting her go gently. She rested back on her pillows and rubbed her head. "Why did you go down there, Devyn?" Moony asked, looking mournfully at her bandages. Devyn looked up defiantly and said, "Because if we didn't, the Sorcerer's Stone would have been stolen and Voldemort would have come back. We were the only ones who knew the truth…or we thought we knew it anyway…"

"What do you mean? It wasn't Snape?" Neville asked. Ron and Hermione looked confused. Devyn shook her head and said, "No, it wasn't Snape. Remember the Quidditch match where Harry's broom was jinxed?"

"Yeah," the three of them chorused. Devyn nodded and said, "Snape was trying to _save_ Harry."

"WHAT?!" Neville, Hermione, and Ron boomed.

"Yeah…it was Quirrell that was trying to kill Harry," Devyn said, burying her face in her hands. "He was the one trying to bring Voldemort back…he was the one who was drinking the Unicorn's blood. He had Voldemort coming out the back of his _bloody skull_!"

They all looked disgusted and Devyn tried to forget the image that swam in her mind – the image of Quirrell unwrapping his turban and revealing Voldemort to them.

"What do you mean; you, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Neville were the only ones who knew the 'truth'?" Moony asked.

"No one would believe us. Not McGonagall, not Hagrid…no one…" Devyn trailed off. Moony frowned and said, "I would have believed you…or I would have listened to you at the very least."

"We didn't want to put you in danger. Clearly Quirrell was dangerous…he was working with Voldemort. We thought that the fewer people who knew the better."

Moony smiled and said, "It's not your job to protect me…it should be the other way around. I should be protecting you." Devyn grinned and shrugged.

"It all turned out okay in the end."

Moony nodded, despite himself, and Devyn said, "So what about the Sorcerer's Stone? I don't have it. Harry doesn't have it. Obviously Quirrell and Voldemort didn't get it because Quirrell died and Voldemort isn't well and kicking…"

"It was destroyed," Dumbledore said as he strode through the tall Hospital Wing doors. "Nicholas and I had a long chat and decided it was for the best."

"But Flamel and his wife will die, won't they?" Neville asked. Dumbledore nodded serenely.

"Yes, Mr. Longbottom, they will. However, when one considers Nicholas and Perenelle's ages…well, let's just say it will be like going to sleep after a _very_ long day."

Devyn nodded and Dumbledore said, "I'm glad you are feeling better. I do hope Harry wakes up soon," he added with a glance at the sleeping form of Harry Potter.

"Oh, I have a feeling he will, Professor. He won't want to miss the End of the Year feast, now would he?"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "I suppose not. How is your head?"

"Not bad. The pain is starting to go away now. Thanks for asking, Professor," Devyn told him. Dumbledore inclined his head and said, "Well, I must make my leave. Remus, it was good to see you again. I hope Minerva didn't give you too much of a heart attack when she informed you of what happened?"

"Just enough. Of course, anything concerning Devyn is going to make me have a heart attack," Moony told him. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily and nodded. And with that, their elderly Headmaster walked back through the doors and off to only he knew where.

Moony turned to Devyn and said, "I wish I could stay longer, Devyn, but I have to get back to my job. My boss only gave me a couple hours off."

"Its okay, Moony, I understand."

"Are you going to be okay?" Moony asked. Devyn glanced at Neville, who was still seated by her side, and said, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"I'll make sure that she doesn't overexert herself, Mr. Lupin," Neville said. Moony nodded thankfully and leaned over to kiss Devyn's head. "Be good," he said quietly.

"Oh, what more shenanigans could I possibly get into? It's the end of the year, Moony," Devyn said, her eyes shining mischievously.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't," Moony warned. Devyn laughed and said, "I'm only joking with you."

Moony turned around and noticed Ron and Hermione. He smiled and said, "You must be Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Moony shook hands with them as they nodded and Hermione said, "Yes, we are. We've heard so much about you. Devyn talks about you all the time."

"Does she now?" Moony said, looking back over at Devyn, amused. She shrugged and made a heart shape out of her hands. "Love you!" she said.

"Well it was nice meeting you both," Moony said, "but I really must be going."

"Bye, Moony!" Devyn called as he dashed out the door. She smiled and lay back down against her pillow.

Madam Pomfrey came bustling out and started running diagnostics on Devyn. "Well," she said, "it seems as though you're completely healed. The SkeleGrow did its job all right. You're free to go, Ms. Murphy. You can take the bandages off tomorrow. Try not to make a habit of it."

"Yes, ma'am," Devyn said with a mock salute. Madam Pomfrey shook her head fondly and bustled over to Harry instead.

Neville helped Devyn out of bed and she nearly fell over when her feet touched the ground. Luckily, Neville caught her and Devyn said, "Thanks, Neville. My equilibrium must really be off…"

"You're welcome, Devyn," Neville said cheerily. "And don't worry about your – what was it? – oh, equilibrium. You've been in bed with a skull fracture for the last two days. Your balance is going to be off for a bit."

Devyn nodded her agreement and slowly pulled the curtains around her bed so she could get dressed. When she pulled them back, she was in a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Classes were over and she had nothing to do.

So, now, the only question was…what would she do?

* * *

Today was the day of the End of the Year feast. She, Ron, Neville, and Hermione were standing on a staircase landing. Thankfully, it wasn't the staircase that led them to Fluffy. Devyn didn't really know why she was standing on this staircase, just chatting, but then Harry, oddly enough, came walking up to them, from below.

"All right there, Ron?" Harry asked. Ron nodded and said, "All right. You?"

"All right. Devyn? Neville? Hermione?" Harry replied. The three of them looked at each other and Hermione said, "Never better."

After that, they decided to go to the Great Hall, as the feast would be starting, but before that, would be the awarding of the House Cup. Unfortunately, they were pretty sure Gryffindor had come in last place.

However, Devyn didn't really care. There were more important things than winning a House Cup. When they entered the Great Hall, Devyn noticed the giant green banners with silver snakes on them.

_Ah, Slytherin won, then, _Devyn thought. She was resolutely not looking at Malfoy, because she knew he would be smirking and she _hated_ when he smirked. It just made Devyn want to punch him again.

Soon after the five of them sat down, Dumbledore nodded to McGonagall, who rapped her spoon against her glass. All the chatter instantly stopped.

Standing at his podium, Dumbledore said, "Another year…gone. And now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor with 312 points."

People clapped, but the Gryffindors looked depressed. But once again, as she placed a hand on Neville's back, for he had just hid his head in his hands, she didn't care. There were more important things in life than this.

Dumbledore continued on, "In third place, Hufflepuff, with 352 points." They all clapped again. "In second place, Ravenclaw with 426 points," more clapping, "and in first place, with 472 points, Slytherin House."

Cheering exploded in the Great Hall, which nearly deafened Devyn. Unfortunately, she was having some control issues with her transformations, and now her hearing had come into it. Before, it was just her sight and her speed, but now her hearing intensified at odd times, which made some people sound like they were shouting, when they were really only talking loudly. It was kind of annoying, but Devyn couldn't do anything about it for the time being.

She willed her hearing to go back to normal and luckily, Snow, her Animagus, dialed it down on her internal stereo.

"Nice one, mate," Malfoy said to one of his classmates. Ron looked at him and Malfoy sneered unpleasantly at him. Of course, that's all Malfoy ever was, was unpleasant. Devyn just rolled her eyes and paid attention as Dumbledore continued.

"Yes, yes, well done Slytherin, well done Slytherin – however!" the elderly Headmaster said. "Recent events must be taken into consideration, and I have a few last minute points to award."

This got the entire Gryffindor House's attention. Dumbledore smiled and said, "To Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool intellect when others were in great peril, 30 points."

They all clapped and Harry patted her on the back, saying, "Good job."

"Second," Dumbledore said, "to Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen these many years…30 points."

Ron mouthed to Harry, _Me?_, to which Harry mouthed back, _You!_

"And third and fourth, to Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Devyn Murphy, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House 100 points, 50 to Mr. Potter and 50 to Miss Murphy."

As the Gryffindors nearly blew the roof off with their cheering, Devyn did the math in her head quickly and said, "We're tied with Slytherin!"

Dumbledore smiled and said, "And finally, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends. I award 10 points to Neville Longbottom!"

If the cheering had been loud before, it had nothing on the noise level now. The Gryffindors were going ballistic and Neville was just sitting there, looking like he didn't quite believe what had just happened.

"We won, Neville!" Devyn said, cheering with the rest of her classmates. "You did it, Neville, you won us the House Cup!"

She pulled Neville to his feet and hugged him. He awakened from his stupor just as Dumbledore said, "Assuming that my calculations are correct, I believe a change of decoration is in order!"

Dumbledore clapped his hands and the giant green banners with the silver snakes became giant scarlet banners with gold lions. "Gryffindor wins the House Cup!"

The cheering only got louder from there, and it wasn't just Gryffindor House that was making the noise; the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws joined in, too. None of them wanted to see Slytherin win the House Cup.

Even Hagrid, who wasn't supposed to 'take sides', shouted, "Yes!" with a grin.

All the students stood and threw their hats into the hair, except for Malfoy, who Devyn was pleased to see, was having himself a right little tantrum and threw _his_ hat down onto the table.

The Gryffindors were still cheering. Seamus was shaking Neville's hand and Lee Jordan was shouting, "Yeah, we won!" at Harry, who looked back and grinned widely at Dumbledore.

And although she didn't care about the House Cup tournament, Devyn could say she was very happy that Gryffindor won, and that she didn't have to see Malfoy's stupid smirk for another three months.

* * *

Devyn felt a great sadness as she walked to the Hogsmeade train station, getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express back to London. Although she was glad to be going home, to Moony, Hogwarts had become her second home, and she would miss the great castle with its moving staircases and talking portraits and, of course, the friendly ghosts.

She and Nearly Headless Nick had become quite good friends and she would miss him terribly. Hermione wasn't so weird around Nick anymore, which made Devyn happy. But she would still miss Nick.

And Hagrid, too; she would miss Hagrid. She would miss Transfiguration with McGonagall, and Charms with Flitwick. She would miss Defense against the Dark Arts, although she was glad that nutter Quirrell wouldn't be teaching anymore. She wasn't glad he was dead, but in her mind, he deserved what he got. Anyone who got involved with Voldemort deserved whatever punishment they got.

Devyn was walking with Neville and Harry, who had just given Hedwig, his snowy owl, to the man storing all their trunks and things.

Devyn smiled when she heard Hagrid's voice. "Come on now, hurry up. You'll be late. Train's leaving. Go on, go on. Come on, hurry up."

Harry, Devyn, and Neville walked to the door of the train, where Hermione was waiting for them. She waved at Hagrid, who waved back, and then she boarded the train.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said. "Devyn, Neville, you too."

Neville went on the train and Devyn said, "I'll be there in a minute. I want to say goodbye to Hagrid."

Neville nodded and went after Hermione. Devyn and Harry walked over to Hagrid.

"Thought you were leavin' without sayin' goodbye, didja?" Hagrid said. Devyn smiled and said, "Of course not."

Hagrid chuckled and reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out two books, one red and the other gold. He handed the red one to Harry and the gold one to Devyn.

"These are for you," Hagrid said. Harry opened his up and there was a moving picture of James and Lily with baby Harry. They were smiling and waving up at him.

Devyn opened hers and found something similar. Her parents were standing with Moony, who was holding her as a baby, but older than Harry was in his picture. Devyn smiled and laughed softly. It was lovely.

"Thank you, Hagrid," she said, as she hugged Hagrid. He chuckled and patted her on the back.

"Yeah, thanks, Hagrid," Harry said. He shook Hagrid's hand, but then hugged him as well.

"Oh, go on…on with you," Hagrid said. Devyn and Harry let go and Hagrid said, "Oh, listen, Harry, if that dolt of a cousin of yours, Dudley, gives you any grief, you could always, um, threaten him with a nice pair of ears to go with that tail of his."

Devyn laughed and Harry said, "But Hagrid, we're not allowed to do magic away from Hogwarts. You know that."

"I do," Hagrid said. "But your cousin don't, do he? Eh?"

He chuckled and said, "Off you go." With one final smile, Devyn and Harry walked back to the train, where Ron, Hermione, and Neville were waiting for them.

"Feels strange to be going home, doesn't it?" Hermione asked them. Devyn shrugged and Harry smiled and said, "I'm not going home. Not really."

And with that, they boarded the train. Hours later, they reached King's Cross station, said their goodbyes, promised to write each other over the summer, and grabbed their trunks. Neville and Devyn walked away from their friends and started looking for Moony, and Mrs. Longbottom.

"Devyn!" she heard. Devyn smiled and turned to the sound of the voice she knew so well. Even though she had seen him only a couple of days ago, she had missed him.

"Moony!"

She was home. Hogwarts might have felt like home after so many months there, but this was her real home. Moony was her home.

She was home.

* * *

**So there you have it! I posted the first chapter of this story on 8/12/2012 and finished it today, 11/10/2012. Almost three months. And this story has actually been in the works for almost two years. I had the idea a long time ago, but never was able to finish it. Now I have…**

**Now, only six more stories in this series to do. (I plan, **_**key word is plan here**_**, to put Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 together.) I don't know if I'll ever complete the series, but I hope one day to. Oh well, time will tell, won't it?**

**Thank you to everyone who stuck with me and Devyn through the first installment. You have no idea how happy it makes me know that my work is appreciated, even if it is only for fun. **

**Also, I don't mean to insult anyone, but I would like to give a special thanks to Ali, a non-account holding reviewer. Ali, you have been my most consistent reviewer for this story. Thank you so much.**


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